DRC— The Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC), has urged African countries and health partners to urgently address gaps in polio immunity to tackle the new wave of circulating variant polioviruses (cVDPV).
The call comes against the backdrop of 117 confirmed cases of circulating variant polioviruses and 107 detections in sampled wastewater so far in the African Region in 2023.
The ARCC, held its 31st meeting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 3rd to 7th July to discuss concerning back peddling of efforts to combat polio in Africa.
The meeting gathered representatives of national and provincial health authorities from Chad, the DRC, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali, and Mozambique who committed to strengthening polio virus disease surveillance.
The African Public health experts (PHE) asserted that consolidating the Expanded Programme on Immunization in hard-to-reach areas, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and health partners, was vital to eradicating polio.
The PHEs also called for accelerated implementation of supplementary immunization activities, while considering challenges in accessibility to services including gender-related issues.
ARCC recognized the role of women in fighting polio
ARCC stressed the importance of gender equality in the polio fight, noting the crucial role women play in management, supervision, decision-making, message development, and monitoring for polio control.
The ARCC also urged countries to conduct robust preparations and ensure the vaccination campaigns are of the highest quality.
The new gender guidance will allow health authorities and partners to provide focused support to strengthen microplanning and social mobilization in areas with poor campaign performance.
Attendees took note of the increasing risk of poliovirus type 1 beyond Madagascar and the DRC, especially with the deterioration of routine immunization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concerns were also raised regarding the persistently security-compromised areas, especially in Nigeria, that are impeding the elimination of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
The commission, therefore, encouraged health authorities to also expand the use of Geospatial Information Systems to improve the quality of surveillance and outbreak response.
Fighting polio in the DRC & Africa
Dr. Serge Emmanuel Holenn, Deputy Minister of Health of the DRC said, “We are looking forward to implementing the additional ARCC recommendations to guide how we can deliver on the promise of polio-free Democratic Republic of the Congo and Africa.”
Dr. Holenn also applauded the commission, WHO, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners for their continued financial and technical support in the fight against polio in the DRC.
In addition to the DRC, Chad, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali, and Mozambique also presented progress in polio control and lessons learned.
Although certification of polio eradication occurs at the regional level, all countries with polio-free status are required to provide the certification commission with annual updates.
These containment reports and outbreak preparedness plans allow for continuous monitoring.
The ARCC commended health authorities for their leadership in responding to ongoing polio outbreaks, as it reflected the deep commitment and continued collective efforts by African countries and partner organizations to the fight against polio.
ARCC- eradicating polio country by country
The ARCC is an independent body established in 1998 to oversee the certification status of the African region as free from indigenous wild poliovirus.
The commission continues to evaluate the reliability of data in the documentation submitted by National Certification Committees to ensure that countries are adhering to the criteria set for the global certification of wild polio virus.
The ARCC meets twice a year to review progress made in the annual certification updates of selected countries on polio eradication activities of all the 47 member states of the WHO African region.
ARCC is led by Professor Rose Leke, who said, “The guidance will allow health authorities and partners to provide focused support to strengthen microplanning and social mobilization in areas with poor campaign performance, among other key areas of action.”
Professor Rose Leke is an infectious disease specialist, that has been the chairperson of the ARCC since it was set up in 1998.
A trailblazer for women in global health, Prof. Leke has fought throughout her career to improve women’s representation in science and global health leadership.
In 2018, she was one of nine women honored with a Heroine of Health award, recognizing her outstanding contribution to health care.
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