The Independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication officially declared African Region of World Health Organisations free of the Wild Polio Virus.
WHO twitted on Tuesday, August 25, 2020 that “African Region is officially declared free of wild polio! Congratulations to all Countries, partners & health workers”
Earlier, in a statement, by the ARCC Chairperson, Prof. Rose Gana Fomban Leke, stated that: “Today is a historic day for Africa. The African Regional Certification Commission for Polio eradication (ARCC) is pleased to announce that the Region has successfully met the certification criteria for wild polio eradication, with no cases of the wild poliovirus reported in the Region for four years.
“The ARCC’s decision comes after an exhaustive, decades-long process of documentation and analysis of polio surveillance, immunization and laboratory capacity of the region’s 47 member States, which included conducting field verification visits to each country.”
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, also said that the success achieved in Nigeria is deserving after several effort put in place.
She added that the future generations of African children can now live free of wild polio.
“This historic achievement was only possible thanks to the leadership and commitment of Governments, communities, global polio eradication partners and philanthropists.
“I pay special tribute to the frontline health workers and vaccinators, some of whom lost their lives, for this noble cause.
“However, we must stay vigilant and keep up vaccination rates to avert a resurgence of the wild poliovirus and address the continued threat of the vaccine-derived polio.
“The expertise gained from polio eradication will continue to assist the African region in tackling COVID-19 and other health problems that have plagued the continent for so many years and ultimately move the continent toward universal health coverage. This will be the true legacy of polio eradication in Africa”.
Modupe Arotolu
