00:00World Health Organization declares Indonesia's polio outbreak over after massive vaccination push.
00:06WHO on Friday said Indonesia's polio outbreak is over, closing a nearly three-year effort to stop the highly contagious disease.
00:16Polio was declared eliminated in Indonesia in 2014, but resurged eight years later in Ache province.
00:22Officials cited chronically low routine immunization and poor conditions.
00:27In 2021, only 50.9% of Ache infants got a polio vaccine, far below national levels.
00:35Experts blamed misinformation about vaccine safety and religious compatibility, and a COVID-19 focus that reduced polio coverage.
00:43Cases spread to Banton, West, Central and East Java, North Maluku, and parts of Papua.
00:49Authorities administered nearly 60 million additional doses.
00:52The last confirmed case was in South Papua in June 2024.
00:57With no new detections, WHO declared the outbreak over on Wednesday.
01:01On Friday, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin praised the nationwide effort.
01:06He credited the dedication of health workers and the commitment of parents and communities, calling the achievement a major milestone for public health.
01:14WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Sayama'u Pukala called the declaration a critical step toward global eradication, but urged countries to remain alert.
01:25One day, polio will be just a memory.
01:27Until then, we vaccinate, Pukala said.
01:31With the outbreak ended, Indonesia will strengthen routine immunization, improve surveillance, and work closely with local communities.
01:38Every child deserves protection, he said.
01:42We cannot be complacent, however.
01:44The risk of polio remains, especially with the gaps in immunization coverage in several provinces.
01:50Indonesia held two national rounds with a novel oral polio vaccine and boosted routine coverage.
01:56Second-dose IPV rose from 63% in 2023 to 73% last year, aided by a hexavalent vaccine that reduces injections and speeds immunity.
02:05UNICEF-Indonesia representative Manisa Zaman said the response shows what sustained cooperation can accomplish.
02:12This shows what is possible when communities, health workers, and partners unite, Zaman said.
02:19We must keep up the momentum, so every child receives the immunization they need to grow up healthy and free from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
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