The World Health Organization Regional Office in Africa (WHO AFRO) and United Nations Children’s Education fund (UNICEF) together convened a workshop to orient 14 Anglophone countries on theNew Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in responding to a Poliovirus event or outbreak, at the Common Wealth Resort Hotel in Munyonyo, Kampala.

The objectives of the meeting are;  to update all participants on the revised SOPs; to increase  government ownership and awareness on the new protocol in responding to polio event/outbreak; to build capacities of national teams in timely and effective response to polio event/outbreak in line with the revised SOPs; to support countries to update their national response and preparedness plans to polio event/outbreak post switch; and to further discuss and identify WHO, UNICEF and other partners' support to quell polio event/outbreak.

Noteworthy, a confirmed wild poliovirus or Vaccine Derived Polioviruses (VDPV) would be a Public Health Emergency of international concern. It is therefore important to prepare countries for prompt response to any poliovirus event/outbreak including VDPV type 2 which prompted the WHO Regional Office, in collaboration with partners to convene the orientation workshop. The 14 Anglophone countries include, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

During the workshop, participants will be equipped with the necessary knowledge to increase their understanding and ownership of the revised SOPs, build capacity to respond to polio event and outbreak as per new SOPs and to update their country preparedness and response plans to polio events and outbreaks. 

In line with the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018, all countries have now replaced trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) with bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) in their routine immunization programmes in 2016. Furthermore, Nigeria and Kenya have already been notified of isolation of VDPV type 2 after the switch from tOPV to bOPV.

It should be recalled that the 68th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2015 adopted a resolution urging member states to respond to any new polio outbreak by ensuring full implementation of the new response protocols (SOPs).

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For more information, please contact:

Mwebembezi Edmond, Public Information Officer, Tel. +256 414 335569, Cell: +256 782 962674, Email:mwebembezie [at] who.int