Polio appears again in Africa

By Hamza Kyeyune

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Uganda's Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed an outbreak of polio and declared it a public health emergency in the country, following confirmation of lab tests from samples in the capital Kampala.

In August 2020, Uganda and the entire African continent were certified by the World Health Organization as wild polio virus-free.

The resurgence of polio in Uganda is attributed to the reduced routine immunization and polio immunization rates in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director-General of Health Services Dr. Henry Mwebesa said the virus is classified as an orphan with 28 changes from the closest match of mutants, meaning it is likely to have been circulating in the country for the past two years.

About 20 African countries have declared polio outbreaks in the last 12 months, including three neighbors of Uganda.