KATHMANDU: Prof. Dr. Srijana Shrestha, Chairperson of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication, has emphasized the need for sustained efforts to maintain Nepal’s polio-free status.
In a video message released today to mark World Polio Day, she said Nepal’s achievements in polio eradication were significant but stressed that continued efforts were essential to preserve this status in the long term.
Noting that the persistence of poliovirus anywhere in the world poses a risk of its introduction into Nepal, she underscored the importance of constant vigilance, particularly given the country’s open borders and cross-border movement of people.
Dr. Shrestha outlined five key priorities for maintaining Nepal’s polio-free status. First, she stressed the need to ensure that routine immunization services reach every child, particularly those living in remote and high-risk areas and communities, so that all children receive the full course of vaccination.
Second, she highlighted the importance of strengthening acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance to detect poliovirus promptly. She also called for regular reviews of surveillance data to ensure a timely and effective response in the event of a virus detection.
Third, Dr. Shrestha emphasized the need to preserve essential capacities and infrastructure amid changes in global financial support for polio eradication. These include surveillance systems, laboratory services, immunization programmes, and outbreak response mechanisms that also support efforts against other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Fourth, she stressed the importance of using the experience, expertise, and infrastructure developed through polio eradication efforts to strengthen surveillance and response systems for other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Finally, she underscored the need for continued commitment and vigilance to prevent the reintroduction of poliovirus and sustain the gains achieved through eradication efforts.
In Nepal, both oral and injectable polio vaccines are routinely administered to children in accordance with the national immunization schedule.