Public health leaders and medical experts have gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa (SA), for the 36th Annual Meeting of the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication to address persistent surveillance vulnerabilities and protect the continent’s polio-free status.
Although the World Health Organisation officially certified the African region free of wild poliovirus in 2020, variant or circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses continue to pose a threat in several countries where routine child immunisation rates have lagged.
The summit has brought together delegations from nations grappling with immunity gaps, weak disease surveillance, and high numbers of “zero-dose” children who have never received a single vaccine.
ARCC Chairperson Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke noted that targeted interventions are urgently needed to prevent outbreaks from spreading across borders.
“While we review the entire continent, we have invited specific countries to present their progress,” Leke explained. “Ultimately, we will issue recommendations not only to those nations, but to the entire region. This meeting is vital because we must safeguard our polio-free status, eliminate circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, and ensure any incoming threats are detected immediately.”
–ChannelAfrica–
