Papua New Guinea sees return of polio

A polio outbreak has been confirmed in Papua New Guinea's Morobe province.

The World Health Organisation said this is the first time polio had been found in the country since 1996, and came 18 years after PNG was declared polio‑free.

PNG's health secretary, Pascoe Kase, said he was deeply concerned about the re‑emergence of polio, and the immediate priority was to stop more children being infected.

The WHO said response teams had swung into action in Morobe, investigating the outbreak.

Polio mainly affects young children and had been eradicated in most of the world, with only 22 reported cases last year.

[Source:Radio NZ]