GENEVA, June 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a stark warning on Tuesday that west andcentral Africa is on the brink of the largest polio epidemic in recent years.

    The warning made by epidemiologists of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative follows confirmation on Tuesday that a child was paralyzed on May 20 by polio in the Darfur region of Sudan, a country which has not seen the disease in more than threeyears.

    In addition to the re-infection of Sudan, five times as many children in west and central Africa have been paralyzed by polio so far in 2004 compared with the same period in 2003.

    "There is no question that the virus is spreading at an alarming pace," said communicable disease expert David Heymann, WHO's representative for polio eradication.

    Heymann stressed the re-infection of Sudan is the latest setback to the progress Africa has achieved in eradicating the virus.

    "The fact that Sudan is now re-infected is concrete evidence ofthe need to support a massive immunization response right across west and central Africa," he said.

    "At the beginning of 2003, only two countries in sub-Saharan Africa were polio-endemic. Today, however, Africa accounts for nearly 90 percent of the global polio burden, with children now paralyzed in 10 previously polio-free countries across the continent," he said.

    Polio, which mainly affects children under five, is caused by avirus that infects the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis or death.

    Children are particularly vulnerable in west and central African countries surrounding Nigeria, as less than half of children in the region are routinely immunized against a series ofdiseases, including polio.

    WHO says 197 children have been paralyzed in Nigeria following the suspension of polio immunization campaigns in northern Nigerialate last year.

    In response to this threat, epidemiologists suggested that massive, synchronized immunization campaigns be held across 22 African countries to reach 74 million children in October and November.

    "These campaigns could avert a public health tragedy. But to beeffective they must have strong, grass-roots support," said Carol Bellamy, executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

    Global spending on polio eradication totals three billion US dollars since 1988 and this looming epidemic will require an additional 100 million dollars, of which 25 million dollars is urgently needed by August for the first campaign, said the WHO. Enditem