African Region makes good progress in polio eradication

Yamoussoukro, (Cote d’Ivoire) — Countries in the WHO African Region continued to make good progress in polio eradication in spite of outbreaks recorded in some Member States over the last two years.

In a progress report on polio eradication to the WHO Regional Committee for Africa which opened in Yamoussoukro on Monday, WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Luis Sambo, stated that from the beginning of 2010 up to May 2011, more than 214 million African children under five years of age were reached during several rounds of synchronized immunization activities.

He attributed the renewed momentum for polio eradication in the Region to the engagement of Heads of State and high-level advocacy visits to priority countries by the WHO Director-General and Regional Director, the UNICEF Executive Director, senior officials of Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.