World Health Organization declares Africa free of polio

World Health Organization has declared Africa free of polio, a landmark in a decades-long campaign to eradicate the notorious disease around the world. This was announced by WHO Regional Director of Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti. She described this as a historic day for Africa.

 

A commission 



led by Prof. Rose Gana Fomban Leke, has certified that no cases had occurred on the continent for the past four years, the threshold for eradication of poliovirus. The WHO said, poliovirus now joins smallpox in the list of viruses that have been wiped out in Africa.