2023 – Zero Dose Children Key to Success in 7 Regional Key Areas

2023 is a pivotal year for the global effort to eradicate polio. This year will be the year in which global transmission of the poliovirus will be completely halted. GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026The beginning of the year presents us with an epidemiologically unique opportunity that we must take advantage of. So what is the program’s focus on achieving success this year? The answer is reaching out to zero-dose children in the areas that matter most.

In Pakistan and Afghanistan, two countries endemic for wild poliovirus, transmission of the virus is more geographically restricted than ever before. For example, in Pakistan, all cases in 2022 were concentrated in just 6 districts in one province, out of a total of 180 districts in the country. More importantly, however, viral biodiversity (that is, the distinct viral lineages actively circulating within a country) continues to decline. In 2020, the country was affected by 11 separate chains of transmission, but this will drop to 4 in 2021 and 1 chain in 2022. bottom. This means that individual viral strains have been successfully knocked out. The situation in Afghanistan is very similar, and coincidentally, we have seen the same in other countries, notably India, Nigeria and Egypt, as they approach eventual eradication efforts.

The virus is at its weakest right now and our chances of wiping it out completely are now. how do i do this? Very specifically, it means focusing all efforts on the “most important areas”. There are regions that have the greatest impact on global eradication efforts.

but what is most important regionsBriefly, they are seven sub-national regions around the world (Eastern Afghanistan, Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, Tete Province and hinterlands in Northern Mozambique, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Northern Yemen, Northern Nigeria, and all over Somalia). south). These regions share some key programmatic features. These areas are characterized by the highest proportions of zero-dose children (unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children) and the highest population densities, and are characterized by broader humanitarian and It is also affected by complex emergencies. Reaching these most marginalized and last remaining unvaccinated communities is even more difficult, including insecurity in some areas.

Our overarching program goal must be to adapt our operations to reflect the complex nature of humanitarian emergencies in each of these seven regional most important areas. . We have one clear goal. It is to reach out to the remaining zero-dose children. This means operating succinctly and effectively within a broader humanitarian context, and that is what we do. We will work with our broader humanitarian partners and through our coordination networks, including emergency operations centers and emergency “cells,” to ensure that polio vaccines are delivered alongside broader interventions in the most culturally appropriate and appropriate manner. increase.

Of course, polio has resurfaced in the past year in places that had long been polio-free. Of course, events like this need to be managed and are actively managed and successful by local public health officials. But above all, such events are a stark reminder of the need to complete the work of global eradication. In that context, countries should continue to maintain strong disease surveillance and high vaccination coverage, and fully implement containment efforts. It is therefore important that we continue our efforts to protect ourselves in the short and long term.

In conclusion, 2023 presents a very real chance of success. But this window won’t stay open forever.

To be successful now, the focus of all partners and stakeholders must be on reaching zero-dose children where it matters most. All stakeholders have a role to play in achieving this. We are jointly and severally liable. Maintain this focus and your success will continue.

For more information on the resulting geography, see watch this video.

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This article was originally published by Global Polio Eradication Initiative January 24, 2023.