How the Polio Staff is Turning Against COVID-19

World Polio Day, October 24, is when the world comes together to celebrate the determination that has led us 99% of the way to end polio and to reflect on the heights we must climb to defeat the disease by full.

This year, Africa was declared free of wild poliovirus, a testament to the outstanding work of thousands of healthcare workers and their supporters over many decades.

Despite this, 2020 may be the most difficult year polio eradicators have ever faced. In the past eight months, immunization services have suffered a devastating blow. An estimated 80 million children under one year of age may have missed critical vaccines. Vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, have spread in the most vulnerable settings. This year, new outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio have been detected in African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, including Yemen, Sudan and South Sudan.

WHO is working closely with national governments to urgently respond to outbreaks and repair affected immunization systems in the first months of the pandemic. In the context of a significant budget deficit and rising costs of implementing health interventions due to the pandemic, the response to the polio and measles outbreak will require additional funding and urgent action.

Below, learn about the work of polio personnel around the world to deliver polio vaccines and close immunity gaps, as you continue to fight COVID-19.

Nasrin Ahmadi, Afghanistan District Polio Officer

“I chose to continue raising public health awareness during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to help save people’s lives and continue to serve my people, ”says Nasrin Ahmadi, a polio worker and COVID-19 response volunteer in Afghanistan’s Balkh province.

Eight months since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Afghanistan, front-line workers in the polio program continue to support the response to the outbreak. During the pandemic, Nasrin took on additional tasks to identify suspected COVID-19 cases, share accurate information with communities, and track people returning from abroad to encourage them to isolate themselves. Throughout, he has continued to educate families on the importance of vaccination against polio.

Read more about Nasrin

Mohamed Sharif Mohamed, Somalia Regional Polio Eradication Officer

In addition to his polio duties, Mohamed provides COVID-19 support to 17 districts in Banadir, Somalia through the coordination and training of COVID-19 teams, conducting active surveillance visits to health centers, and reviewing reports submitted by district polio officers on the response to the pandemic.

In September, he participated in the first immunization campaign that was resumed in Somalia since COVID-19 arrived in the country. All children who participated in the campaign were offered deworming pills and vitamin A, as well as vaccines against measles and polio. The provision of multiple services is critical in the context of the ongoing polio and measles outbreaks in Somalia and the low immunity of the general population.

Find out more about integrated campaigns against polio and measles in Somalia

Dr. Samreen Khalil, Pakistan Polio Eradication Officer

Polio teams in Pakistan have been working to support the response to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, as well as continuing their work to eradicate polio.

In Peshawar, the team has adapted existing acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance networks built into hospitals and health facilities to detect COVID-19 and polio. Polio staff like Dr. Samreen Khalil have been assisting with testing and training healthcare workers in infection prevention and control. Polio data management systems across the country and a call center in the capital Islamabad help address misinformation and detect suspected COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Sylvester Maleghemi South Sudan Polio Team Leader

In the African region, the polio eradication program has a long history of responding to other disease outbreaks and health emergencies. With its unmatched technical expertise, disease surveillance and logistical capabilities, as well as extensive community networks, the polio team was perfectly placed to mobilize a large-scale emergency response to COVID-19, while sustaining efforts. of polio eradication.

Dr Sylvester Maleghemi, leader of the WHO polio team in South Sudan, explains: “Across Africa, the polio infrastructure and personnel are found in the districts, provinces and even at the national level, so that when there is an outbreak, polio teams are always the first to respond. “

As the pandemic progresses, polio staff and resources around the world continue to address COVID-19, while pushing to eliminate all forms of polio from the world, close the immunity gap and contribute to universal health coverage. .

Learn more about the polio infrastructure in Africa

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The exceptional support of the global donor community and the immense efforts of healthcare workers, parents and local leaders have led us 99% of the way to eradicating polio worldwide. On World Polio Day, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, of which WHO is a leading partner, would like to thank all who are dedicated to achieving a polio-free world.

Learn more about the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and WHO’s work to end polio.