Polio Eradication in the African Region: Progress and Way Forward

In 2012 the declaration of global polio eradication as a programmatic emergency for public health targets resulted in the setting of objectives and a schedule for eradication. Innovative approaches were taken to address the polio situation in the African Region. Supplementary immunization activities; planning; monitoring and surveillance have all been stepped up; and technological advances such as GPS and the use of polio dashboards to monitor key performance data have been employed. Key priority countries (Angola; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Nigeria) and communities (including nomadic groups) have been targeted.Great progress has been documented; for example routine immunization has risen from less than10 in 1980 to 77 in 2013. However; there are still some challenges to overcome; notably wild poliovirus outbreaks and three remaining foci of transmission - Nigeria; the Central Africa subregion and the Horn of Africa. This article charts the steps taken and the continuing action needed to realise the aim of polio eradication

Overview of the WHO Polio Laboratory Network in the African Region

The Polio Laboratory Network has always played a critical role in diagnosing poliovirus disease (poliomyelitis) and the detection of poliovirus transmission. In the new millennium; the strength of the laboratory network is often a direct reflection of the success of the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) programme. The network has taken advantage of new technologies that provide speedy turnaround times for results reporting thus contributing to the success of the PEI programme. This article presents a brief overview of the work of the network