One die as country’s 19th polio case reported in SHP

By PETER WARI
SOUTHERN Highlands has reported the country’s 19th polio case since June and three cases are pending confirmation.
The provincial health authority’s emergency operation centre in Mendi confirmed the case through Health Department on Friday.
One child has died.
Disease surveillance officer with the emergency operation centre Ken Siki said the victim was a one-year-old male from Yaria village in the Lower Mendi LLG of Imbonggu who had a paralysed leg.
He said the child missed out on polio emergency vaccination when tests were conducted after he was admitted to for treatment and samples were sent to Port Moresby.
“We did our best to make sure all the children were vaccinated in the two rounds but this total negligence by parents has resulting in the child being affected,” Siki said.
“The reported case from Southern Highlands now brings the total to 19 the number of polio victims in the country while three more suspected cases are still pending confirmation.”
He said there needed to be more awareness done in the third round of vaccination to make sure those who had missed out in the first and second rounds were vaccinated.
It is now the duty of parents and guardians to ensure their children are vaccinated.