The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) praised, on Saturday, March 23rd, the significant progress made in the DRC in the fight against poliomyelitis. "For 2024, it was said that two polioviruses had been detected in the environment, in Kinshasa and in Tshopo, but those from children affected by paralysis, we had not yet detected those cases. But as we said, we went from more than 500 cases to less than 250 in paralyzed children, it is likely that we still have cases. This year, the surveillance continues. It is possible that in the months, in the weeks to come we might still detect cases but we hope to remain on the same trend as these last two years with a decrease, if we reach the end of this year with no cases, it's perfect. It's ideal," declared Doctor Charles Ewa Sama from the commission of the polio response surveillance team to the press.
He then insisted on the strengthening of surveillance and awareness to eradicate this epidemic on Congolese soil. "It is important that the community be vigilant about the occurrence of paralysis because there may be polioviruses in the community but if we are not sufficiently vigilant, we may not manage to detect them," he added.
Note that with this decrease in polio cases, the province of Maniema, once considered an epicenter of poliomyelitis, has gone from 67 to just 1 case recorded in 2023 and these figures were presented Saturday to the acting governor of Maniema by a delegation from UNICEF coming from New York, United States.
"Maniema was seen globally as a polio epicenter two years ago. And in Maniema, you have made huge progress last year going from 67 cases to 1 case, which shows that there is a strong commitment from the Government to stop this epidemic that we have nevertheless seen here quite acute in Maniema," stated the director of polio eradication at UNICEF in New York and representative of the strategic committee of the global polio eradication initiative, Steven Lauwrier.
The first phase of the national polio vaccination days will take place from March 28th to 30th across the entire national territory.
Gisèle Mbuyi
Fight against polio: in 2 years, the DRC goes from 500 paralyzed children to less than 250.
InternetKinshasaHealth - The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has gone from more than 500 paralyzed children in 2022, to fewer than 250 cases of paralysis in 2024, although two cases of wild poliovirus were detected in the country during that year, one in Kinshasa and the other in the Tshopo province.