Publication

Response to a large polio outbreak in a setting of conflict- Middle East, 2013-2015

Authored by:

Mbaeyi C, Ryan MJ, Smith P et al.

Full Citation:

Mbaeyi C, Ryan MJ, Smith P et al. 2017. Response to a large polio outbreak in a setting of conflict- Middle East, 2013-2015. MMWR. 66(8).

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Additional key concepts from this publication:

Conflict and migration can lead to disease outbreaks in diseases previously controlled or eliminated and jeopardize disease control efforts.

Key Evidence: An outbreak of wild polio virus began two years after the onset of the civil war in Syria and subsequently spread to Iraq, causing a total of 38 cases (36 in Syria). Factors leading to the outbreak included a decline in polio surveillance and in polio vaccination coverage (from 83% for 3 doses of oral polio vaccine pre-war in Syria to 47-52%).

Immunization globally provides a key opportunity to control emerging disease outbreaks and prevent the spread of disease across national borders.

Key Evidence: The development and successful implementation of a coordinated, multi-country plan in response to a wild polio outbreak in Syria and Iraq halted the outbreak within 6 months. The response, which involved strengthening acute flaccid paralysis surveillance and more than 70 synchronized mass polio vaccination campaigns in 8 Middle Eastern countries (reaching >27 million children), could serve as a model for responding to disease outbreaks in areas affected by conflict and political instability.