Poliomyelitis surveillance in Mali from 2001 to 2012

Abstract

Despite the health services efforts for the prevention and eradication of acute anterior poliomyelitis, the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance remains a sensitive tool for monitoring the progress of the Global Initiative for polio eradication. This retrospective descriptive study main was to assess the effect of vaccination on polio morbidity and mortality in Mali during the period 2001-2012. Coverage in OPV1 was less than 100% from 2001 to 2003, but more than 100% from 2004 to 2012. Coverage in OPV3 was less than 100% overall. Coverage OPV3 in 2001 was low, less than 60% in most districts. OPV vaccination coverage was below 60% in northern Mali in 2012. Between 2001 and 2012, Mali has recorded 1956 suspected cases of AFP. The highest prevalence was recorded in 2012 with 266 cases or proportion of 13.6%. The age group of 1-4 years was the most represented with 1098 cases (56.1%). Between 2001 and 2012, Mali has reported outbreaks of wild poliovirus: 19 cases of PVS1 in 2004, 3 cases of PVS1 in 2005, 1 case of PVS1 in 2008, 2 cases of PVS1 in 2009, 3 cases of PVS1 and 1 case of PVS3 in 2010 and 7 cases WPV3 in 2011. The causes of these deficiencies may be related to geographic inaccessibility to these districts, the instability of qualified personnel, health infrastructure destruction and insecurity especially in northern countries in 2012.The study also showed that the decline in coverage leads to an increase of cases number of illness, which encourages higher susceptibility to epidemics.