POLIO: Three Cases Reported in Niger

Three polio cases have been detected by health officials in southern Niger, near the border with Nigeria, the health ministry said Friday, just months after a major UN vaccination operation.

Experts from Niger, the World Health Organization and the UN’s children agency UNICEF have already arrived in the area to investigate.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease which mainly affects young children and can result in permanent paralysis. There is no cure and it can only be prevented through immunisation.