Johannesburg, 10 September 2015 - Polio eradication is a global effort coordinated by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to deliver a polio-free world by 2018. The effort requires countries to strengthen surveillance, improve the quality of immunization campaigns and build national capacity to respond to outbreaks.  While countries are at different levels of the eradication effort, South Africa has maintained Polio Free Certification indicators at national level since the acceptance of the country documentation in 2006 by the African Regional Certification Commission (ARCC).

The World Health Organization has been supporting the country to maintain the Polio Free Certification through a number of programmes including strengthening of AFP surveillance, routine and campaign immunization activities, and collaborating with the National Certification Committee (NCC), the National Task Force on Polio Containment (NTF), and the National Polio Expert Committee (NPEC).

Recently a WHO supported Polio Eradication Symposium was held in the country to discuss laboratory containment of polio, advocacy for the Polio Eradication Initiative and preparations for South Africa to switch from trivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV) to bivalent OPV.  The symposium afforded South Africa an opportunity to continue high level advocacy on polio eradication, increase awareness and strengthen disease surveillance activities in general. Click here to read the opening statement by the WHO Representative in South Africa, Dr Sarah Barber.