THE World Health Organisation’s (WHO) African Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) has certified South Africa polio-free.
“Following the recent ARCC verification visit to South Africa in August 2019 and the ARCC meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia on the 19 September, the ARCC has accepted the South Africa national documentation of polio-free status.
“The ARCC decision was made based on the political commitment the members observed during their advocacy and verification visits to South Africa and the improvements in polio surveillance and routine immunisation,” the WHO confirmed in a letter.
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Although the last wild case of polio in South Africa occurred in 1989, deficiencies in the country’s routine immunisation coverage and surveillance systems resulted in South Africa’s polio-free status being rescinded in 2017.
In response, a number of measures were put in place to address the identified weaknesses.
Progress has been made in ensuring that all children are protected from polio through routine immunisation.
South Africa’s surveillance system has been strengthened as demonstrated by an increase in the national non-polio AFP detection rate which has been consistently above the target level of 2 per 100 000 children under 15 years in recent years, with more districts progressively achieving this target.
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South Africa has also developed and implemented a robust outbreak preparedness plan as well as an environmental surveillance plan to further strengthen surveillance efforts.
Based on these actions, the country’s National Certification Committee, an independent committee, expressed confidence that the country was able to achieve and sustain routine immunisation and surveillance targets, and recommended that the ARCC declare South Africa polio-free.
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