Transcript
Papua New Guinea became one of the few countries in the world to see polio return in June, after eradication.
Since then, 14 children - 10 of them under 5-years-old - have been confirmed to have the virus in five provinces, and all of them have some kind of paralysis.
The World Health Organisation's representative in PNG, Luo Dapeng, says the outbreak has now claimed its first life.
The outbreak is vaccine-derived polio, where the weakened form of the virus used in vaccinations mutates and spreads.
It's able to spread in conditions of poor sanitation and where few children are immunised against polio, which is the case in Papua New Guinea, where rates have fallen to as low as 30 percent in some areas.
Since the outbreak was confirmed, authorities have launched a massive effort to contain the outbreak and vaccinate more than three million children.
Dr Luo says it's a massive undertaking, with 9-thousand WHO workers around the country and logistical hubs in every province.
But he says early signs appear to show it is working.
However, polio returned after vaccination campaigns largely stopped as a result of budget cuts and a lackadaisical approach after the country was first declared polio-free.
Dr Luo says the WHO is trying to work with the government to make sure that, first, polio is again eradicated, and second, that it stays away through a routine vaccination programme.
