The Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) has urged countries and health partners to urgently address gaps in polio immunity to avert outbreaks.
Development Diaries reports that this comes as the commission disclosed 117 confirmed cases of circulating variant polioviruses and 107 detections in sampled wastewater so far in Africa in 2023.
The ARCC, which conducted its 31st conference from July 03–07 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also asked for additional immunisation programmes to be implemented more quickly while taking accessibility issues, including gender-related ones, into consideration.
The commission emphasised the significance of gender equality in the battle against polio, pointing out the significant role played by women in management, supervision, decision-making, the formulation of messages, 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 guidance will allow health authorities and partners to provide focused support to strengthen microplanning and social mobilisation in areas with poor campaign performance, among other key areas of action’, Head of the ARCC, Professor Rose Leke, said.
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 quality of surveillance and outbreak response.
In August 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared wild polio free, an accomplishment that had taken decades to achieve.
Unfortunately, the virus reappeared in south-eastern Africa in February 2022, one year and a half after the continent was deemed free of indigenous wild poliovirus.
Source: WHO
Photo source: WHO
