Meeting on the coordination of cross-border activities in the framework of operation MECACAR : report on a WHO meeting, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 26-27 July 2000

Abstract

The meeting was convened by WHO in collaboration with UNICEF to address poliomyelitis eradication issues facing Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The global poliomyelitis eradication programme is making remarkable progress at present despite all the impediments, and the aim is interruption of all transmission of wild poliovirus by 2002 and certification of eradication by the end of 2005. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have maintained free of reported cases of poliomyelitis, have sustained high routine immunization coverage and have continued supplementary immunization activities with high coverage. The sensitivity and quality of surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis in these countries has improved to meet WHO performance criteria. At least nationally, Afghanistan has accelerated its activities towards the target of interrupting wild virus transmission, with a reduction in wild poliovirus isolation despite expansion of surveillance sentinel sites covering a higher proportion of the population over the last year. Nevertheless, further intensive efforts are necessary to meet the goal of eradication. Despite the limited population movement across the borders of Afghanistan with the other participating countries in recent years, there remains continued risk of importation and cross-border transmission in some areas. For this reason, further coordination should continue. For all countries, continued progress is needed in the prompt collection, transportation and analysis of faecal specimens, and in the identification of priority cases for transfer and analysis