Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar hosted the 38th meeting of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (RCC) from May 19 to 21. This annual gathering served as a platform for the 22 countries and territories in the region to share updates on their poliovirus surveillance, population immunity, outbreak preparedness and laboratory containment efforts.
Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, expressed gratitude to Qatar for hosting the meeting and praised the efforts of the National Certification Committees and National Programmes. "As we approach polio eradication and the subsequent certification of eradication, the quality of surveillance and laboratory performance becomes the central programme priority. WHO will diligently follow the RCC’s recommendations as we embark upon the last mile to achieving polio eradication,” said Dr Balkhy.
The RCC commended the significant epidemiological progress and improvements in surveillance and preparedness across the region. Eighteen out of the 20 countries in the region have met the surveillance standards necessary for polio eradication certification. The RCC provisionally accepted the reports from 20 polio-free countries, while noting the progress reports from Afghanistan and Pakistan, the two remaining polio-endemic countries.
Dr Salih Al Marri, assistant minister for health affairs said, "It is crucial to ensure high quality poliovirus surveillance, and readiness to respond to any poliovirus detections as we approach global polio eradication. Qatar has been polio-free for almost three decades and continues to follow the Regional Certification Commissions standards.”
The meeting also acknowledged the progress made by Afghanistan and Pakistan in combating the transmission of wild poliovirus. Key recommendations from the RCC included updating national surveillance plans and outbreak preparedness and response plans.