Harare, 26 February 2003 -- Significant progress is being made in the control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the Eastern and Southern African epidemiological blocks, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) reports. 
Speaking Wednesday in Harare on behalf of the WHO Regional Director for Africa at a meeting of Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) focal points for East and Southern Africa, the Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control at AFRO, Dr Antoine Kaboré, said that as at the end of 2002, five countries in the two blocs had been free from wild poliovirus circulation for more than 10 years, while six others had not had any wild poliovirus for more than five years.

He added, however, that despite the fact that the two blocs had been largely polio-free for long periods of time, progress towards certification was being hampered by sub-optimal AFP surveillance.

Dr Kabore identified other challenges to polio eradication in the two blocs as an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus in Madagascar in 2002, and importation of wild poliovirus in Zambia in 2001 and 2002.

He also reported steady progress in measles mortality reduction, Neonatal tetanus elimination, and routine immunization coverage in the East and Southern African blocs, both of which fared comparatively better than other blocs in the Region.

However, in spite of these comparative successes, none of the countries in the East and Southern blocs had achieved the target of 80 per cent immunization coverage in each district, Dr Kabore said.

''Indeed there has been a decline in reported immunization coverage in several countries, particularly in the southern bloc, Dr Kabore said", warning that it was absolutely essential to maintain high routine immunization coverage to sustain the gains made in polio eradication, measles mortality reduction and other accelerated disease control initiatives. "

He added that "high routine immunization coverage is indeed the foundation of all our efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality of all vaccine-preventable diseases."

Dr Kabore stated that because of the dim prospects for improved health funding in the future, "the logical way forward" was for countries to embark on the integration of disease control activities as a way of optimizing the use of scarce resources for health in the Africa Region.

"By improving efficiency and equity, integration can lead to improved health status of communities in our Region. Integration is also necessary for capacity building, national ownership and sustainablity of health programmes", he said.

For further information, please contact: Samuel T. Ajibola 
Public Information and Communication Unit 
World Health Organization - Regional Office for Africa
P.O. Box 6, Brazzaville, Congo 
Tel: 1 321 953 9378; Fax 1 321 953 9513 
Email: ajibolas [at] afro.who.int