POLIO INFECTION CASES (Spread from external sources)

Column: 889

POLIO INFECTION CASES:

(Spread from external sources): 3.

Mr Leong Horn Kee asked the Minister for Health in view of the recent global increase of polio infection cases, what actions are being taken by his Ministry to guard against the spread of this disease in Singapore, especially against the spread from external sources.

Dr Balaji Sadasivan (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir

,: polio vaccination was introduced in Singapore in 1962. All new-borns have since been vaccinated against polio starting from three months of age, and given boosters when they are in Primary 1 and 6. We have thus maintained very high immunisation rates which confer 'herd' immunity in our population. Even if there is an infection from external sources, it will not spread. The last local case of polio was reported in 1978 and the last imported case in 1986.

Our high standard of hygiene and modern system of sewage disposal also

Column: 890

minimises the transmission of poliomyelitis through the faecal-oral route, which is the main cause of transmission in the community. There is thus very little risk of a polio outbreak in Singapore.

Though we have already eradicated polio locally, we will continue to maintain a high degree of surveillance to check for imported polio cases.

Despite the detection of isolated cases in Indonesia recently, WHO reports that polio is close to eradication. To give Members some idea of the perspective of risk today, say, opposed to 20 years ago, in 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in the world. Last year, there were only 1,266 cases. So, as far as the world is concerned, we are coming close to eradicating polio. And that is why when cases are reported in countries, they get a lot of publicity.