Polio this week as of 13 December

• The Forum on Immunization and Polio Eradication in Africa was held this past weekend in Dakar, Senegal, hosted by H.E. President Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Chair of the African Union (AU), who was joined by Umaro Embaló President of Guinea-Bissau and Chair of ECOWAS. The event was co-hosted by the Government of Senegal, Africa CDC, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), CEPI, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, UKAID, Rotary International, Speak Up Africa, and Enda Santé. The goal of the Forum was to re-mobilize Heads of State on the Addis Declaration on Immunization (ADI), to build momentum for immunization and polio eradication, and to encourage support among policymakers across the continent for scaled-up policies and financing to address the alarming declines in immunization rates and the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. President Sall issued a call to action in his speech, asking other Heads of State to renew their commitment to immunization. This is the start of an intensive effort for 2023, which will be a critical year for immunization and polio eradication; upcoming milestones include the release of UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report, Gavi mid-term review and other activities still in development by WHO and other stakeholders. You can see a recording of the event here.

• At its ninth annual meeting, the Islamic Advisory Group (IAG) reiterated its commitment to addressing current and emerging public health challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and beyond and using religion to dispel misconceptions around public health. Read more

• The WHO Executive Board report on polio transition planning and polio post-certification provides an update on the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan on Polio Transition (2018–2023), with a focus on steps being taken by the Secretariat in 2023 to respond to the recommendations of the mid-term evaluation of the Strategic Action Plan, and on progress at the country level. The coming year, during which a new global vision and regional action plans for transition will be developed, will be critical to ensure that polio transition and integration efforts are sustainable and fully aligned with national and regional health priorities, especially related to essential immunization, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response and protecting countries against poliovirus importation.

• At last week’s Gavi Board meeting in Geneva, the Board extended the Gavi eligibility and co-financing exemptions for inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in support of polio eradication efforts, and confirmed zero co-financing requirements for outbreak response and refugee populations currently not integrated into national plans.

• Polio experts eye clear tactics to achieve success; as 2022 draws to a close, independent technical bodies from key epi-centres dive deep on what it will take to achieve success in 2023. Read more here.

Summary of new polioviruses this week:

• Afghanistan: four WPV1 positive environmental samples

• Pakistan: two WPV1 positive environmental samples

• Botswana: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample

• DR Congo: 19 cVDPV2 cases and one positive environmental sample