WHO and UNICEF have commended Malawi’s efforts in eradicating wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) after WHO’s Polio Outbreak Response Assessment Team (OBRA) announced that the pandemic is no longer transmissible in Malawi.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said this has been declared in Malawi and Mozambique, marking a milestone in the fight against the virus in the Southern African countries.
He stressed that this is a testament to the Malawi Government’s commitment and collaborative efforts with health workers in the fight against the disease.
Dr Chris Elias , president of Global Development at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added that Malawi has set an example for what it takes to urgently improve vaccination and disease surveillance systems and the commitments will help to achieve a world free of all forms of poliovirus.
Ministry of Health records show that Malawi recorded nine cases of wild poliovirus 1 in February 2022 when the outbreak was declared.
By Alufisha Fischer
