Experts meet to review progress of polio eradication in Africa
A four-day meeting of the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for polio eradication to review progress and situation update of poliomyelitis of member countries has opened in Accra.
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The meeting, hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ghana Country office, would, among others, update ARCC members on the current status of polio eradication in the Africa Region and review the 2017 ARCC plan of action.
Delegations from seven countries; Ghana, Algeria, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cameroun, Gabon and Guinea Bissau are participating in the meeting.
The ARCC
Addressing the meeting, the Chairperson of the commission, Prof. Rose Leke, said reports on two countries - Algeria and Cape Verde - would be presented to decide whether or not to certify them free of polio.
She said the meeting would also review the progress and situation update of Ghana, Cameroun, Central African Republic, Guinea Bissau and Gabon on polio eradication activities.
The ARCC for polio eradication was appointed by the WHO African Regional Directorate to serve as the principal advisory body that reviews country-level certification reports submitted to it, and to formulate recommendations for regional and country certification.
ARCC members are charged with reviewing certification documentation from all 47 countries in the WHO African Region and verifying the absence of poliovirus in the presence of certification-standard surveillance.
Latest outbreak in the region
Prof. Leke expressed concern over the reported cases of polio in the Lake Chad Basin countries, which are Central African Republic, Chad, Cameroun, Niger and Nigeria.
She stated that Nigeria for instance recently reported four wild polioviruses in three areas in the Borno State after two years without a case.
The chairperson attributed the outbreak to the insecurity of the state, saying that had led Nigeria back into the list of endemic countries of polio.
“This development raised a concern for ARCC members on how to ensure and assess the quality of activities in security-compromised and inaccessible areas. This should be a lesson learnt for all countries,” she said.
She, therefore, urged member countries to update their preparedness and response plans and roll out high quality activities, high level advocacy and adequate resources to overcome polio for the African region to become polio free.
“Ghana’s effort”
The WHO Country Representative, Dr Owen Kaluwa, said the current outbreak of poliovirus in Nigeria and Lake Chad is a concern for all countries in West Africa.
He expressed the hope that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative support to Nigeria would address the situation and help interrupt transmission as soon as possible.
Concerning Ghana’s efforts towards polio eradication, Mr Kaluwa said Ghana had made “quite satisfactory” exertions.
“The routine oral polio vaccination coverage is good, though with challenges in some districts. Poor performing districts are supported with additional funds from the country office to improve in surveillance indicators,” he explained.
Although Ghana has a preparedness and response plan updated to respond to any polio event and outbreak, among other ongoing activities, Dr Kaluwa said the country needed to continue working hard and also keep the political commitment to sustain the polio-free status.
Professor Francis Kwesi Nkrumah , a consultant paediatrician, who served at both regional and national levels on relevant bodies that worked towards the achievement of a polio-free status was awarded at the meeting by the ARCC for his efforts towards the eradication of polio in Ghana and the African region.
Until his resignation this year, he had been the Chairman of the National Polio Expert Committee since 2001.
