August 22, 2019

Anna Murray 

On August 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Africa would be certified free of wild polio in 2020 if no such cases happen in the following months. Three years ago, the last four polio cases in Africa were found in Borno state, Nigeria on August 21, 2016. It was because of the hindrance of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

According to Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director, without the multinational effort from the governments, partners, and health workers, no such significant progress would have popped up. The key point is how to deploy financial and technical resources, to provide vaccination and to educate the inhabitants, especially in remote areas. Moreover, polio workers have to face challenges like reaching children in conflict areas, parents’ refusing vaccination for their children, lacking national vaccination campaigns, etc.

 
Dr. Pascal Mkanda, coordinator of the WHO Polio Eradication Programme, warned that African countries still had to strengthen the surveillance of wild poliovirus. It is no time for relaxation since there is local wild poliovirus in Pakistan and Afghanistan. By the way, they have reported more than 30 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in Congo this year. 

Photo:Webshot.