KATHMANDU, Oct 24: Prof. Dr. Srijana Shrestha, chairperson of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication, has stressed the need for continuous surveillance and sustained efforts to maintain Nepal’s polio-free status.
In a video message released on Friday to mark World Polio Day, Shrestha said Nepal’s achievements in polio eradication were remarkable, but continued efforts were necessary to preserve the status indefinitely.
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She pointed out that as long as poliovirus persists anywhere in the world, there remains a risk of the disease entering Nepal. She stressed the need for constant vigilance, particularly given Nepal’s open borders and cross-border movement of people.
Shrestha underscored the importance of ensuring that routine immunization services reach every child, especially those in remote and high-risk areas and communities, so that all children receive the full course of vaccination.
She also called for prioritizing acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance to detect poliovirus promptly and regularly reviewing surveillance data to ensure a rapid and effective response if the virus is detected.
Amid changes in global financial support for polio eradication, she said it was crucial to preserve essential capacities and infrastructure, including surveillance systems, laboratory services, immunization programs and outbreak response mechanisms for all vaccine-preventable diseases.
Shrestha further emphasized the need to use the experience, expertise and infrastructure developed through polio eradication efforts to strengthen surveillance and response systems for other vaccine-preventable diseases.