Polio Eradication Advisory Group Meeting in Doha Says Rigorous Steps Essential in the Next Six Months

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication for Afghanistan and Pakistan convened in Doha, Qatar from 1-4 June

June 9, 2023 - 12:04

Polio Eradication Advisory Group Meeting in Doha Says Rigorous Steps Essential in the Next Six Months

Source: Ministry of Public Health

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

According to the Ministry of Public Health, the delegation of programme experts from Pakistan was led by Dr. Mohammad Fakhre Alam and Dr. Nek Wali Shah Momin led the delegation from Afghanistan. The meeting brought together experts, stakeholders, donors and partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to discuss the status of eradication efforts and recommend strategic measures to interrupt transmission of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) by the end of 2023.

H.E. Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health who also serves as co-chair of WHO’s Regional Subcommittee on Polio Eradication and Outbreaks at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in her speech: " Polio is the world’s longest-running Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and as of today, it is the world’s only Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

H.E. explained in her speech, delivered on her behalf by Dr. Salih Ali Al Marri, Assistant Minister of Public Health for Health Affairs: Despite the great difficulties we have faced and are facing in our quest to eradicate polio, we are closer than ever to polio eradication. For the State of Qatar, the work of raising immunity and stopping transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan is worth it." Her Excellency also expressed her gratitude to the participants for their unwavering commitment to achieving the great goal of polio eradication.

“The eyes of the world are on Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly as we have a finite – but very real - window of opportunity before us to stop transmission. During the polio session at the 76th World Health Assembly, it was clear that polio eradication is a global priority, and all Member States fully support this important public health goal,” said Dr Ahmad Al-Mandhari, Regional Director for WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), addressing participants virtually.

Prior to the in-person meeting, rigorous preparatory sessions were conducted online on thematic areas of surveillance, immunization, social behavioral change communication, epidemiology and other cross-cutting areas like gender, integration and cross-border coordination. During the four-day meeting, participants critically evaluated the remaining significant hurdles in the polio endemic and outbreak areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan and charted a roadmap for intensified efforts over the next six months.

Jean Marc Olivé, Chair of the TAG, acknowledged the efforts of both programmes in implementing recommendations made during the TAG meeting in October 2022. “The epidemiological situation this year is complex, but the opportunity is still there, and we cannot lose focus of our end goal. The ability of the programme to succeed is dependent on success in the smallest ever geographical areas in both countries. The longer it takes to stop the remaining endemic polio, the more the risk increases.”

“The strength of the GPEI has always been its innovative partnership model between governments, technical agencies, donors and communities we serve. The next six months will be the most important period of the polio programs history in Pakistan and Afghanistan and we, as a partnership, must focus our collective strengths to reach all children in these remaining endemic areas with polio vaccine,” said Noala Skinner, Regional Director (a.i.) for UNICEF’s Regional Office for South Asia.

The TAG is convened by the Regional Director for WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, on behalf of the Member States with the objective to review status of eradication efforts and provide technical guidance on interrupting transmission of WPV1 by the end of 2023.

To date, in 2023, five cases of WPV have been reported – four from Afghanistan and one from Pakistan. Over the past year, transmission of wild poliovirus has been cornered to the East region of Afghanistan and the seven polio endemic districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. This year, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will conduct its mid-term strategy review to determine the progress against the GPEI 2022 – 2026 strategy: delivering on a promise of a polio-free world.

Outcomes of the TAG will guide the programmatic actions to stop endemic wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission for the next six months and prevent polio outbreaks, but also inform the discussions at the IMB’s meeting next month and contribute significantly to the GPEI mid-term strategy review.