On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, the African Regional Certification Commission certified the WHO African Region as a continent of wild polio virus-free after Four years without a case. Polio usually affects children under five, sometimes leading to irreversible paralysis. Death can occurs when breathing muscles are affected. Twenty-five years ago, thousands of children in Africa were paralysed by the virus.
In the 1980s, the disease was endemic in 125 countries claiming the lives of 350,000 children per year according to WHO. This disease can now only be found in two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where there have been a collective of 102 cases so far in 2020 still disturbing the World to achieve it global eradication initiative.
According to John Hewko , general secretary and CEO of Rotary International “Africa’s victory over the wild polio virus is a testament to what can happen when partners from a variety of sectors join forces to accomplish a major global health goal”.
With reference to the above expression, I’m using this opportunity to thank all sectors who in diverse ways has contributed meaningfully to the accomplishment of this initiative and a special thanks to the Community Health Workers (CHWs), the font liners in all community health programs, taking the lead to ensure that the least child from hilly and hard to reach community is vaccinated, we appreciate your voluntary involvement into polio vaccination activities and other health campaigns.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is a public private partnership led by the national governments with six partners, WHO, American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Gave, the Vaccine Alliance. Polio has no treatment, but with the vaccine and collective efforts of all sectors, our aim of having a Global Polio-Free will be achieved.
