Following the recent outbreak of Wild Polio Virus in Malawi, the federal government says it has put measures in place to safeguard the country against importation of the disease.
A signed statement by the Executive Director National Primary Healthcare Development Agency(NPHCDA) Faisal Shuiab indicates that one of such measures is the reactivation and reconstitution of the Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization (ERC).
The ERC provides expert advice and guidance on strategies and approaches for polio eradication and routine immunization.
According to him, the committee meets periodically to review the country’s polio eradication and routine immunization programmes taking into consideration populations based and laboratory studies, programmatic approaches, cost information, and other issues so as to provide a holistic and practical advice to the country.
Shuaib added that the ERC’s expert advice contributed immensely to the country’s achievement of WPV-free status in August 2020. Consequently, it has become imperative to reactivate the committee following the recent outbreak of WPV in Malawi and the outbreaks of circulating variant of polio virus type 2 (cVPV2) in Nigeria.
He added that the ERC is expected to work with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to come up with multi stakeholder plans to strengthen surveillance, build population immunity, mitigate against and control all forms of polio viruses.
The NPHCDA boss further said the reconstituted 12 member expert committee chaired by a public health expert, Prof. Akin Osibogun has members drawn from the academia, the media, donors and development partners including World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The committee members include Prof Dorothy Esangbedo, Prof Shuaib Bello, Prof Clara Ejembi, Prof Sade Ogunsola, Prof B.S.C. Uzochukwu, Prof Ilayisu Zubairu, Dr. Muhammad Dallatu, Mr Mannir Dan Ali, Dr Steve Cochi (CDC), Mr Aidan O’Leary (WHO) and Jay Wenger (BMGF).
Shuiab also indicated that the reconstituted ERC have a renewable tenure of two years and will be inaugurated at a date to be announced soon.
