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EUR/01/5018750 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH UNEDITED E73496 REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE ___________________________ NINTH MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL CERTIFICATION COMMISSION FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF POLIOMYELITIS ERADICATION Report on a WHO Meeting Vienna, Austria 19–21 June 2000 SCHERFIGSVEJ 8 DK-2100 COPENHAGEN Ø DENMARK TEL.: +45 39 17 17 17 TELEFAX: +45 39 17 18 18 TELEX: 12000 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.WHO.DK 2001 ABSTRACT The participants at the Ninth Meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission were briefed on the progress towards poliomyelitis eradication globally and in the European Region. They reviewed the documentation for certification from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Regional Certification Commission planned to submit complete documentation for the certification of the European Region as polio free to the Global Commission in 2002. Continuing surveillance, however, was stressed as a long-term obligation. With eradication close, virus containment had become essential. The regional plan for the laboratory containment of wild polioviruses was presented. An inventory of laboratories containing wild poliovirus and other targeted potentially infectious materials was to be complete by the end of 2001. The discussion raised significant questions about the extent of the inventory, and indicated the activities and processes needed to start it in all countries. Each country was expected to have a coordinator, and many should have a task force, to oversee the successive steps of the containment process. Keywords POLIOMYELITIS – prevention and control EPIDEMIOLOGIC SURVEILLANCE – standards IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMS CONTAINMENT OF BIOHAZARDS – standards LABORATORY INFECTION – prevention and control NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMS CERTIFICATION EUROPE © World Health Organization – 2001 All rights in this document are reserved by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The document may nevertheless be freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced or translated into any other language (but not for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes) provided that full acknowledgement is given to the source. For the use of the WHO emblem, permission must be sought from the WHO Regional Office. Any translation should include the words: The translator of this document is responsible for the accuracy of the translation. The Regional Office would appreciate receiving three copies of any translation. Any views expressed by named authors are solely the responsibility of those authors. This document was text processed in Health Documentation Services WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen CONTENTS Page Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................1 Polio eradication: global overview................................................................................................................1 Regional Overview........................................................................................................................................2 The certification process: country presentations ...........................................................................................3 Albania................................................................................................................................................3 Bosnia and Herzegovina .....................................................................................................................4 Republic of Moldova ..........................................................................................................................5 Romania ..............................................................................................................................................5 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia....................................................................................6 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia..........................................................................................................7 Country follow-up reports.............................................................................................................................7 Austria.................................................................................................................................................7 Belgium...............................................................................................................................................8 Bulgaria...............................................................................................................................................8 Denmark..............................................................................................................................................8 Germany..............................................................................................................................................9 Lithuania .............................................................................................................................................9 Portugal...............................................................................................................................................9 Switzerland........................................................................................................................................10 Surveillance for enteroviruses.....................................................................................................................10 France................................................................................................................................................11 Netherlands .......................................................................................................................................11 United Kingdom................................................................................................................................11 Global Action Plan for laboratory containment of wild polioviruses .........................................................12 European Region Action Plan for laboratory containment of wild poliovirus............................................14 Country reports on implementation of national plans for laboratory containment of wild poliovirus........15 France................................................................................................................................................15 Netherlands .......................................................................................................................................15 United Kingdom................................................................................................................................15 Summary and conclusions...........................................................................................................................16 Annex 1 Programme..............................................................................................................................17 Annex 2 Participants .............................................................................................................................20 EUR/01/5018750 page 1 Introduction The ninth meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission was held in Vienna, Austria on 19–21 June 2000. Sir Joseph Smith chaired the meeting, Secretary was Dr George Oblapenko, Rapporteur was Dr David Salisbury. The purposes of the meeting were as follows: S to brief the participants on the development of the Global and Regional status of polio eradication; S to review the documentation for certification from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Moldova, Romania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; S to follow up on the implementation of recommendations given to Member States by the Regional Certification Commission; S to present the Regional Plan for laboratory containment of wild polioviruses and to discuss the strategies for the implementation of the Regional Plan. The programme of the meeting is attached as Annex 1 and the list of participants as Annex 2. Sir Joseph explained the tasks that national Committee chairmen faced. He congratulated the national committees on their excellent work, and also thanked all local health workers for the contributions, as well as the considerable efforts of the polio team at the Regional Office, Copenhagen. Sir Joseph also explained the tasks that the Regional Commissions played as their part towards global eradication. The goal will be for the Regional Commission to submit complete documentation for the Region to the Global Commission in 2002, when it should be more than three years since the last case. The Commission will expect annual updates from each National Committee up to the completion of the regional submission. The need for continuing surveillance was stressed, as a long-term obligation, essential until well after eradication had been attained. Dr Oblapenko welcomed participants on behalf of the Regional Director and reminded participants that it had been 18 months since the last case of polio in the Region. In September the Regional Committee will review the progress towards elimination in the Region. Dr Oblapenko thanked the Vienna International Centre for the use of its excellent facilities. Dr Melgaard welcomed participants on behalf