Relief as Africa is declared polio-free

A day after Africa was declared Polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Rotarians in Uganda have been asked to continue supporting the global immunisation campaign against the disease.

The former district governor of District 9211 of Uganda and Tanzania, Robert Nsibirwa, said the target is to reach every child with the polio vaccine.

"We are relieved to be free of it," Nsibirwa said yesterday during a press conference held in Kampala. His remarks were in reference to the WHO declaration of Africa as Polio-free.

He added: "We are grateful to WHO, the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation and the health ministry for putting up a united front and eliminating polio from Uganda."

Uganda was declared polio-free in 2006.

Nsibirwa said every Rotary Club is expected to continue contributing between $1,000- $2,000 every year to Polio Plus to support governments to carry on with immunisation against polio.

Meanwhile, Rotary International and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative hailed Africa's historic public health achievement.

The milestone was announced by the Africa Regional Certification Commission on Wednesday.

In addition to volunteer work, Rotary has contributed $2b since the launch of its polio programme, Polio Plus, in 1985.

This comes four years after Nigeria — the last polio-endemic country in Africa — recorded its final case of wild poliovirus.

Rotary International says routine immunisation must be strengthened to keep immunity levels high so that the wild poliovirus does not return.

Africa now features among five out of six WHO's regions which are wild polio-free.

According to Nsibirwa, as long as 0.1% of the wild poliovirus continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, all children are at risk.

According to Rotary, nine billion doses of oral polio vaccine have been administered and hundreds of millions of children immunised. About 1.8 million cases of wild poliovirus have been averted throughout Africa.

Rotary International president Holger Knaack, in a press statement yesterday, said: "In the face of a pandemic, the world has had very little good news to celebrate in global health this year, and the challenges ahead are formidable. That is why we must recognise this great achievement and commend all the people who played important roles in eradicating wild polio in the Africa.

"It took tremendous effort and partnership over many years."