By Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. Today, on World Polio Day, established by Rotary International. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the countries and partners in the WHO South-East Asia Region for achieving and maintaining a decade of polio-free status. The world observes World Polio Day on 24th October. The birth date of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.
The WHO South-East Asia Region was certified free of wild polioviruses on 27 March 2014. The last case of wild polio virus in the region reported in January 2011. And since then, no new cases of wild polio virus have been reported from any country of this region. This remarkable milestone is a testament to the unwavering political commitment, relentless efforts of the health workers, and the collaborative spirit of partners, donors, civil societies, and all stakeholders that have driven this success. This demonstrates the commendable dedication and commitment to public health and citizens’ well-being of all the countries of our region.
As we celebrate this significant achievement, it is crucial to remember that our journey is not yet complete. The risk of polio remains until it eradicated globally. The international spread of polio virus remains a public health emergency of international concern. Therefore, it is imperative that we continue to uphold and strengthen polio essential functions. This includes maintaining high immunization coverage, robust surveillance systems, and rapid response mechanisms to any potential outbreaks. It is equally important to ensure containment of polio virus materials, and containment contingency plan according to global guidelines.
Our region continues to remain on track with all the key strategies for polio eradication. Today, the overall regional coverage of the bivalent oral polio vaccine and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), through routine immunization, has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. However, it remains sub-optimal in some countries, and subnational variations in coverage continue across the region.
My message to all polio stakeholders is to continue the collaboration at all levels to ensure resources to maintain polio essential functions are available and the global and regional guidelines on sustaining polio-free status optimally implemented.
Our collective and continued vigilance and proactive measures are vital in ensuring we do not lose the hard-earned gains of the past decade. By sustaining these efforts, we can protect future generations from the threat of polio and move closer to a world where polio is a disease of the past.
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Let us remain united in our mission, drawing inspiration from our shared successes and our demonstrated resilience. Together, we can eradicate world polio day and secure a healthier, polio-free future for all.
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