Geneva - Sana
The World Health Organization today announced the elimination of the wild poliovirus from Africa, describing the move as a "milestone" for the continent.
"This is a very important milestone for Africa, as now future generations of African children can live without polio," said Dr. Machidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, according to the United Nations News Center.
And the Independent Regional Committee for Africa on Certification of Polio Eradication has officially declared that 47 countries in the African Region of the United Nations World Health Organization are free of the virus, with no cases reported for four years.
It is noteworthy that polio is a viral disease that can cause paralysis and mainly affects children under the age of five. The virus is transmitted from person to person mostly through contact with infected stool or less frequently through contaminated water or food, and it enters the body through the mouth and multiplies inside the intestine.
While there is no cure for polio, the disease can be prevented through a simple and effective oral vaccine, thus protecting the child for life.
The committee’s announcement comes after decades of documentation and analysis of polio surveillance, immunization and laboratory capacity, in addition to field verification visits to every country in the region.
The last case of wild poliovirus in the region was detected in Nigeria in 2016.
