The World Health Organization has declared a polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea and is calling for a vaccination campaign.
An environmental sampling showed a reemergence of the highly infectious virus.
The government's response includes at least two rounds of nationwide vaccination and expanding monitoring to detect any further cases.
It has approved $3.2 million to roll out vaccines in the country, located north of Australia in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
Papua New Guinea was said to be polio-free since 2000 until an outbreak in 2018 was contained — but not before infecting 26 children and killing one.
Polio is a highly infectious disease mainly affecting children under age 5. It can also affect older people.
Most infected people have no symptoms but can transmit infection to others in their feces, which can contaminate water or food.
It is estimated that 1 in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis.
A representative of UNICEF in Papua New Guinea says the humanitarian agency is working with the government to avoid any misinformation around its polio response plan.
