Remarks by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti
Your Excellency the President of Nigeria, Mr Muhammadu Buhari,
Honourable Ministers of Health,
Professor Rose Leke, the Chairperson of the Africa Regional Commission for Certification of Poliovirus Eradication and esteemed Commission members,
Dear leaders and partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative – Rotary International, US CDC, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Dr Tedros, the Director-General of WHO,
The US Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Mr Aliko Dangote and Mr Bill Gates, our leaders who have so inspired and supported this movement,
WHO Regional Director for Africa emeritus, my predecessor, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo,
Distinguished health workers, polio survivors, colleagues, guests, and friends,
It is among the greatest honours of my life to join you for this celebration of the eradication of wild poliovirus from the 47 Member States of the WHO African Region.
This is the second virus to be eradicated from our continent after the eradication of smallpox 40 years ago.
For me personally, this is an incredible and emotional day as I stand in my late father’s footprints. He was the Southern Africa member of the Global Commission that certified smallpox eradication. Little did I know when I was listening to his stories of trekking-out to remote communities chasing after smallpox that I would one day be reporting that Africa is free of wild poliovirus.
Today, we reap the fruits of a promise made 24 years ago by African Heads of State to future generations. It has been a remarkable journey of perseverance, of innovation and of sacrifice. At times it was difficult to see if we were making progress, particularly in settings of active conflict and where large numbers of people were displaced and inaccessible. In working towards this goal, together, we have averted 1.8 million cases of paralysis among children and in doing so, deployed 9 billion doses of the vaccine.
My warmest congratulations to all the Governments, the Heads of State, the Ministers and their staff, to our partners, community leaders, frontline health workers, polio survivors, caregivers, community volunteers and individuals, for rallying together to eradicate this virus. I pay special homage to the frontline workers who gave their lives in fighting polio.
The eradication of wild poliovirus from Africa is an example of what we can achieve with international solidarity. It is a vivid reminder that vaccines work and that the collective actions of communities, governments and partners can bring about tremendous changes.
This battle is not over, as our Region still faces the threat of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2, or cVDPV2, due to low immunization coverage and poor sanitation in many of our communities.
Today, 16 African countries are responding to outbreaks of cVDPV2, with some immunization campaigns postponed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I thank the Ministers of the countries concerned, for agreeing to resume the campaigns as soon as possible. We look forward to working with you on this and ensuring safety precautions are in place to protect vaccinators and communities.
In closing, the eradication of wild poliovirus from the African Region reminds us of the importance of investing in universal health coverage, in preparedness and response to outbreaks, and in making our societies more equitable, particularly for the most vulnerable among us.
I’d like to say a special word of thanks to His Excellency, the President of Nigeria, for having shown this remarkable leadership despite the reverses that we suffered together and for being with us today.
With these remarks, I accept the presented report, conclusion and certificate by the Africa Regional Commission for Certification of Polio Eradication and hereby concur, and officially declare to all 47 Member States that the WHO African Region is certified free of wild poliovirus.
Congratulations and thank you all – You have truly made Africa proud.