Luanda, 30 October 2013 –- The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo has today, called on governments, international partners and the populations to increase routine immunization coverage to at least 90%; improve the quality of immunization campaigns; strengthen epidemiological surveillance; and implement the International Health Regulations.

“That is the way forward to accelerate the reduction of vaccine-preventable diseases and definitively interrupt wild poliovirus transmission”, he said.

Dr Sambo made this appeal in a speech delivered in the Angolan capital, at the opening of the 8th meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on Poliomyelitis Eradication. The meeting will assess progress, identify difficulties and define new actions to enable the African Region to contribute to the global process of poliomyelitis eradication.

The two-day event has attracted forty delegates comprising immunization programme officers of Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia and Zambia as well as experts from WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, USAID and CDC/Atlanta.

Speaking to delegates, the Chairman of the Technical Advisory Group on Poliomyelitis Eradication, Dr Jorge Torgal, considered that despite the progress made, countries of the African Region ”were facing some problems and obstacles such as less-than-100% immunization coverage and the need to further strengthen epidemiological surveillance. That is essential in order to eradicate poliomyelitis”, he noted.

In his address at the opening session, the Minister of Health of Angola, Dr José Van-Dúnem, reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Angola to enhance progress in the interruption of poliovirus transmission and to strengthen collaboration among African States.

Dr José Van-Dúnem recalled with satisfaction that Angola has been recording zero case of poliomyelitis for two consecutive years, unlike in 2010 when the country reported 33 cases and, furthermore, hosted the 6th session of the Technical Advisory Group for Poliomyelitis Eradication, also in Luanda.

“This success is due to the fact that Angola has implemented emergency plans for interrupting the circulation of the virus, and has increased coverage rates above 80% in addition to using new methodologies for monitoring and evaluation of immunization quality, with greater involvement of government authorities”, the Angolan Minister of Health emphasized.

Until 31 October, members of this Advisory Group will be holding discussions in Luanda on the African Region’s poliomyelitis eradication endgame and the implications of the introduction of an injectable vaccine as from 2015.

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Prepared by the WHO Country Office in Angola. For further information please contact the WHO Country Office, Rua Major Kanhangulo 197, 7th floor, Luanda, Angola. Telephone: (244) 222 395 701; Fax: (244) 222 332314 - e-mail:  afwcoaowr [at] who.int