Achieving Certification

contact | links | donate

<% on error resume next Set db = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") db.connectionstring = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=D:\who-shared-hosting\sites\polioeradication\htdocs\db\admin.mdb;Persist Security Info=False" db.Open thepage=request.servervariables("script_name") referrer=request.servervariables("http_referer") browser=request.servervariables("http_user_agent") thelanguage=request.servervariables("http_accept_language") theIP = request.servervariables("remote_addr") sql = "INSERT INTO log (sitepage,referrer,browser,browserlanguage,IPaddress) VALUES ('" & thepage & "','" & referrer & "','" & browser & "','" & thelanguage & "','" & theIP & "')" db.execute(sql) set db=nothing %> <% filename = lcase(Mid( request.servervariables("URL"), InStrRev( request.servervariables("URL"), "/" ) +1 )) filename = left(filename,len(filename)-4) & " " if filename = "default " then elseif Instr("background disease vaccines risk strategies history partners ",filename) > 0 then response.write " > " elseif Instr("progress labnet nid future casecount ",filename) > 0 then response.write " > " elseif Instr(filename, "opvc_") > 0 then response.write " > > > " elseif Instr("opvcessation ", filename) > 0 then response.write " > > > " elseif Instr("pressreleases factsheets positionstatements videoaudio featurestories events qa def_questions speeches mediacontact photogallery photoessay ",filename) > 0 then response.write " > " elseif Instr("fundingbackground poliodonors donorstories howtocontribute ",filename) > 0 then response.write " > " elseif Instr("latestdocs presentations reports polionews speechstatement ",filename) > 0 then response.write " > " elseif filename = "whatsnew " then response.write " " else response.write " " end if if filename <> "default " then %>

<% end if %>

Achieving Certification of Global Polio Eradication

The process for certification of the global eradication of polio has been validated through the experience of three WHO regions which had been certified polio-free by the end of 2003 - the Region of the Americas (1994), the Western Pacific Region (2000) and the European Region (2002).

In 1997, the Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (GCC) finalized the criteria for certifying whether the goal of polio eradication is achieved. Certification is conducted on a regional basis. Each region (there are 6 WHO regions - the Americas, the Western Pacific region, the European Region, the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Southeast Asian Region and the African Region) can consider certification only when all countries in the area demonstrate the absence of wild poliovirus transmission for at least three consecutive years in the presence of excellent surveillance.

In addition to achieve the certification of global polio eradication, all facilities holding wild poliovirus infectious and potentially infectious materials must have implemented bio-containment measures. The Global Action Plan for Laboratory Containment of Wild Poliovirus (2003) outlines the activities to minimize the risk of the reintroduction of wild poliovirus from laboratories to the community.

What is required to achieve global certification?

1. Achieving certification-standard surveillance

In endemic regions

Achieve and sustain certification standard surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) at the national level.
Identify and close any gaps in surveillance performance at the sub-national level in all countries.
Increase the speed of surveillance and virologic data analysis to ensure timely emergency response.

In certified polio-free regions

Maintain certification-standard surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis
Ensure highest possible immunity levels against wild poliovirus
Develop action plans for responding rapidly to importations of wild poliovirus
Integrate AFP reporting into national surveillance mechanisms to respond to other important diseases.

2. Ensuring access to a WHO-accredited laboratory

Reduce the time required for intratypic differentiation (ITD) results to be available from endemic areas;
ITD capacity established in all polio reservoir countries
Sustain the international capacity to process all specimens from AFP cases in WHO-accredited laboratories through global certification and OPV cessation

3. Ensuring containment of wild polioviruses and Vaccine Derived Poliovirus (VDPVs)

Further dissemination and national implementation of activities outlined in the Global Action Plan for Laboratory Containment of Wild Polioviruses 2003 Second edition.*
Complete laboratory survey and inventory activities in all polio-free countries.
Prepare for implementation of phase II laboratory containment activities prior to global certification.
Initiate phase II containment activities in all countries by the end of 2005.
Complete BSL-3/polio containment in facilities producing IPV from wild poliovirus.

4. Completing the certification process

Regional Certification Commissions (RCC) in the remaining three polio-endemic regions to train National Certification Commissions (NCC)
NCCs to collect, review and decide on the national documentation through consultations.
By the end of 2005. The GCC will have finalised: the data requirements for global certification from the three certified polio-free regions (end of 2002); the role of environmental surveillance as a supplemental strategy; and mechanisms for reviewing and verifying documentation on the containment of laboratory stocks and IPV production.

Click here to view the Global Polio Eradication Initiative Strategic Plan 2004-2008.

What is certification standard surveillance?

the ability to detect at least one case of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) for every 100 000 children under 15 years of age

two adequate specimens collected from at least 80% of cases of acute flaccid paralysis

all specimens should be processed at a WHO accredited laboratory.

The Global Eradication of Polio