COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAVE BEEN RAMPING UP VACCINATIONS AGAINST POLIO.
THE PUSH COMES AS AN OUTBREAK IN SYRIA THREATENS TO HELP THE NEARLY-ERADICATED DISEASE MAKE
A COMEBACK.
POLIO RESURFACED IN WAR-TORN SYRIA AFTER YEARS OF CONFLICT DISRUPTED VACCINATION EFFORTS.
THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WANTS VACCINES TO REACH EVERY CHILD, BUT THE OPPOSITION ACCUSES
THE GOVERNMENT OF DEPRIVING CERTAIN AREAS OF VACCINES ON PURPOSE.
I TALKED ABOUT THE OUTBREAK WITH VOA CAIRO CORRESPONDENT ELIZABETH ARROTT.
LET'S START WITH SOME OF HER REPORT.
EGYPT HAS BEGUN A NEW ROUND OF VACCINATIONS AGAINST POLIO, ONE OF SEVERAL NATIONAL EFFORTS
IN THE MIDDLE EAST AFTER THE CRIPPLING DISEASE RECENTLY RESURFACED IN WAR-TORN SYRIA.
PHILIPPE DUAMELLE OF THE UNITED NATION'S CHILDREN'S FUND.
"POLIO IS BACK IN THE REGION.
THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS FOR EVERYONE."
ANXIOUS PARENTS LINED UP ACROSS CAIRO AS THE SYRIA OUTBREAK BROUGHT EGYPT'S IMMUNIZATION
CAMPAIGN NEW URGENCY.
"THAT IS WHY WE ARE COMING ON THE FIRST DAY OF VACCINATION BECAUSE THIS IS CAUSING LOTS
OF WORRY FOR MANY PEOPLE.
WE ARE PREPARING SO NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS IN EGYPT."
ELIZABETH, THIS ISSUE WITH THE SPREAD OF POLIO...HADN'T POLIO BEEN VIRTUALLY ERADICATED?
SO IT RAISES A QUESTION OF WHY AND HOW HAS IT RESURFACED?
WELL, ABSOLUTELY, ALEX, IT HAD BEEN IN SYRIA ERADICATED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
THEY HAD VERY GOOD IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM, BUD THEY NEED MANY TIMES THE TREATMENT TO BE DONE
OVER THE PERIOD OF CHILDHOOD.
NOW OVER THE LAST ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW OF CONFLICT, THOSE IMMUNIZATIONS HAVEN'T HAPPENED.
AND SO THEY ARE VERY VERY VULNERABLE AND PARTICULARLY THE YOUNG CHILDREN.
ALL OF THE CASES THAT HAVE SHOWN UP ARE AMONG CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OLD, SO OBVIOUSLY
BORN AFTER THE CONFLICT STARTED AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE VACCINATIONS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN FOR OUR VIEWERS WHAT POLIO DOES TO THE BODY AND HOW IT'S SPREAD?
YES, AND YOU ARE RIGHT IT'S NOT JUST THE WEST IT'S ONLY THREE COUNTRIES THAT STILL HAVE
POLIO.
IT HAS BEEN ERADICATED AND WHAT IT DOES DO TO THE PEOPLE IN THOSE COUNTRIES WHERE STILL
IS.
IT'S USUALLY SPREAD BY FECAL MATTERS, SO IF YOU ARE IN A POOR COUNTRY WHERE THERE IS NOT
GOOD SANITATION OR IN A WAR TORN COUNTRY THAT SYRIA IS NOW, WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS
TO GOOD HYGIENE, THEY CAN PICK UP THE VIRUS AND IT CAN PROVE FATAL.
IT KILLS PART ...MANY OF THE VICTIM THAT HAS AND THOSE TO SURVIVE ARE OFTEN VERY VERY BADLY
PARALYZED.
NOW, WHAT'S BEEN THE RESPONSE AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE INTERVIEWED INSIDE EGYPT?
WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF FEAR?
PEOPLE ARE JUST NERVOUS WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT IT, ALTHOUGH I THINK THERE HAS BEEN SUCH GOOD
MASS MOBILIZATION OF...
OVER THE YEARS TO ERADICATE POLIO AND IT'S BEEN POLIO FREE HERE FOR EIGHT OR SO YEARS.
SO PEOPLE HAVE GREAT FAITH.
THEY DO COME, THEY REGULARLY GOT THEIR KIDS IMMUNIZED, THERE IS A NATIONAL DAY AND THEY
GO AROUND SCHOOLS, SO IT DOES MAKE PEOPLE NERVOUS HEARING ABOUT IT.
THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE DOUBLE SURE THAT THEIR KIDS HAVE THEIR LATEST DOSE OF THE VACCINE.
ONE STRAIN WAS FOUND IN CAIRO'S SEWERS.
NOBODY HAS COME DOWN WITH IT HERE, BUT THE VERY FACT THAT IS PRESENT HAS PEOPLE NERVOUS
AS WELL, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY SYRIAN REFUGEES HERE, ABOUT MORE THEN
200 THOUSAND AND THE IDEA THAT IT COULD BE BROUGHT IN THAT WAY AS WELL TOO.
IN YOU REPORTING YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY FEAR THE VACCINATIONS
AND FEEL THAT MAY BE MALICIOUS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
WELL, YES AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM IN THE THREE COUNTRIES WHERE ...THOSE VACCINES...WHERE
THE DISEASE IS STILL PREVALENT.
IT'S AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN AND NIGERIA.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PLOT BY THE WEST TO HURT MUSLIMS.
SO WHAT'S NEXT?
WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW AT THIS POINT...I MEAN THE VACCINATIONS BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE
THAT'S IN THE WORKS?
THE HEALTH WORKERS HAVE TO DO A VERY BIG JOB IN SYRIA ITSELF.
THEY HAVE TO NEGOTIATE TO GET THE DRUGS INTO THE REBEL HELD...MEDICINE...
INTO THE REBEL HELD AREAS AND IT'S A VERY PAINFUL PROCESS.
THE GOVERNMENT THERE HAS PLEDGED TO LET DONORS GET THE MEDICINE THROUGH.
THE U.N. MAN THAT I SPOKE TO, HE SAID REALLY EVERYONE IN THE REGION, FROM IRAQ, TURKEY,
ALL THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE TAKING IN MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF SYRIAN REFUGEES REALLY NEEDS TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR VACCINATION PROGRAMS UP TO DATE.
AND THEY ARE MAKING A HUGE PUSH, INTERNATIONAL PUSH TO GET THESE GROUPS TO MAKE SURE...
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AND OTHER GROUPS GOING IN...AND JUST MAKING SURE EVERYBODY STARTS,
BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS TO BE VACCINATED.
OR YOU START, YOU HAVE A WINDOW IN WHICH THE DISEASE CAN ENTER.
THE DISEASE DOESN'T NEED A VISA, IT CAN SLIP AND SLIDE ACROSS, AND IF THEY FIND ANY GROUP
THAT DOESN'T HAVE IT...THE VACCINATION AGAINST IT, THEY'RE VULNERABLE.
AND, PHIL, ELIZABETH TELLS THAT THIS THE STRAIN OF POLIO WE'RE SEEING IN SYRIA ACTUALLY ORIGINATED
IN PAKISTAN.
AND AS SHE MENTIONED IN HER REPORT, PAKISTAN, ALONG WITH AFGHANISTAN AND NIGERIA , THESE
THREE ARE THE ONLY COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHERE POLIO REMAINS ENDEMIC.