War fears fail to halt fight against polio

DESPITE the growing likelihood of a US-led war in Iraq, 14,000 health workers will fan out across the country next week to immunise more than four million children against polio.

"No matter what the global situation, we cannot shrink from the ongoing work of reaching out to help them,” said Unicef Executive Director Carol Bellamy. “Amid many distractions, we must all keep the children of Iraq uppermost in our minds and do everything we can to protect them.”

Bellamy said the disease crossed borders easily, so it was essential that the health workers reach every child. Although there was a major outbreak of polio in Iraq in 1999, increased vaccination has meant there have been no cases since January, 2000.