On Tuesday, the independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication officially declared on Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region is free of wild poliovirus.
This marks the eradication of the second virus from the continent since smallpox 40 years ago. Polio once paralyzed over 70,000 children a year across Africa.
“The African Regional Certification Commission for Polio eradication (ARCC) is pleased to announce that the Region has successfully met the certification criteria for wild polio eradication, with no cases of the wild poliovirus reported in the region for four years,” said Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke, ARCC Chairperson.
It is to be noted that Polio usually affects children under 5. In some cases, it also leads to irreversible paralysis.
