By 
Shumirai Nyamadzawo
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has declared a polio outbreak in three suburbs of Harare, Mbare, Mufakose, and Budiriro, TechnoMagTV has established.
The outbreak comes a month after the fourth round of the Polio Oral Vaccination campaign which was conducted nationwide.
In a statement, Minister of Health Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora announced that there was a need to activate this incident Management System urgently to address the development.
“A circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 {c VDPV2] outbreak in Harare suburbs of Budiriro, Mufakose, and Mbare.
“As a matter of urgency, the Management System with an Appointed Incident Manager for polio respond to implement a coordinated outbreak response to quickly the outbreak and prevent further spread,” read the statement.
Dr Mombeshora appealed for the intervention of the World Health Organisation [WHO] and other organizations through financial and technical support.
The vaccination campaign targeted 2,8 million children less than five years of age. The government has been conducting a vaccination blitz to prevent the outbreak of the crippling diseases among young children.
Polio is a disability and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The disease can spread from person to person and it infects a person’s spiral code, causing paralysis. The disease has no cure, but it can be prevented with effective vaccination.
The disease was discovered last year in our neighbouring countries like Zambia, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
The nation and the international community now make efforts to curb the outbreak and protect the health and well-being of the affected communities.
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