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- Africa was recently certified as wild polio-free
- However vaccine-derived polio is still a threat in 16 countries
- Massive global strides have been made to eradicate the childhood disease, but the pandemic may undo them
Polio feels like a disease from a different time – for developed countries that is.
But last week, the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication declared Africa to be free of the wild poliovirus.
The declaration was made after an intense decade-long process where the commission documented and analysed polio cases across the region's 47 member states. The last polio case was detected in 2016 in Nigeria. Africa needed to be polio-free for four years in order to to be certified polio-free.
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Fight lasted more than 20-years
Polio is a viral disease that can be transmitted through contaminated water and food, and with no cure, prevention has been the only way to fight it.
The commitment to wipe out polio in Africa was made in 1996 by Africa's governments during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Organisation of African Unity in Yaoundé, Cameroon. ARCC was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1998 with 16 member states to oversee the "free" certification process.
Back then, 75 000 children a year were affected by the debilitating disease.
South Africa's then-president Nelson Mandela was also involved in starting up the initiative, jumpstarting the campaign to Kick Polio Out of Africa and encouraging other African leaders to throw their hats into the ring.
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'Historic achievement'
“This is a momentous milestone for Africa. Now future generations of African children can live free of wild polio,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's regional director for Africa.
“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.”
Polio still a problem
Moeti, however, cautions against becoming lax about the disease, Vaccinations need to be maintained and vaccine-derived polio remains a threat, which is a weakened version of the wild poliovirus that can strike unvaccinated children.
Just one case of polio is considered an outbreak, and teams are quickly mobilised to contain it.
In the region, 16 countries are also seeing a resurgence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type two (cVDPV2), specifically in West and Central Africa and Horn of Africa, and Zambia in the southern parts.
The Covid-19 pandemic could also have a severe impact on vaccinations. Many programmes and interventions have fallen by the wayside as resources have been diverted to fighting the coronavirus.
READ | Vaccinations halted in several poor countries due to coronavirus fears
Future hope
With the gains made against wild polio, WHO officials are positive that the continent can get CVDPV2 under control, as well as contribute to the fight against the coronavirus that is causing havoc around the world.
“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,” added Moeti.
READ MORE | The forgotten killers: Covid-19 destroying gains made in the fight against malaria, TB
Image credit: Pixabay
