Cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis should be reported

The AFP cases have been recently reported in some countries of the region, including Yemen in addition to other 10 African countries, prompting the need for health authorities to adopt sufficient precautionary measures. "The recent situation has prompted us to adopt precautionary and preventive steps. We have addressed all the medical districts and hospitals that should immediately report with the ministry cases of AFP", said Dr Mahmoud Fekri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Preventive Medicine Department.

He underlined that the UAE is free from the epidemic and that no recent AFP cases were reported in the country.

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He said the ministry is carefully following up World Health Organisation (WHO)'s surveillance on AFP to stand on the international status of the epidemic. "The ministry has also adopted, in collaboration with the other GCC states the idea of developing a comprehensive vaccination programme against the disease in the region", disclosed Dr Fekri.

The AFP surveillance, is the detection of flaccid paralysis of new onset in children under 15 years (and any suspected poliomyelitis case in a person of any age), with prompt virological testing to disprove or confirm poliovirus infection.The proposal will be tabled during the forth coming meeting of the GCC Health Ministers in Geneva next week for endorsement, said the official. According to a recent report released by the Preventive Medicine Department, strategies for implementation of the National Plan for Polio Eradication in the UAE have geared to maintain the polio case-free status and sustain coverage with trivalent oral polio vaccine at more than 95 per cent. "The development of a competent surveillance system for identifying and investigating all AFP cases, has been strictly applied as it is considered essential to the monitoring and evaluation of the plan", said the report.