Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and National Public Health Agency has on the 8th March 2024 Confirmed Polio Virus (PV3) Case in the country.

It was communicated that, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHs), in collaboration with the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), investigated a suspected case of poliovirus type 3 (PV3) in a child from Kambia district for which a swift action and reassurance was done through a prompt testing conducted at the Institute Pasteur in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and confirmed at the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) in South Africa.

They also revealed that it was Fortunate that the testing confirmed was not a wild poliovirus case and that the child was severely malnourished and shedding vaccine-derived poliovirus, a rare occurrence.

They maintained that, the NPHA and MOH are actively collaborating with neighbouring countries on cross-border surveillance for more on the matter.

The NPHA, MOH, and WHO along with technical partners are currently involved in educating the public about polio and vaccination, strengthening national surveillance systems, implementing a robust response plan among others.

The Health officials urged everyone to ensure all children under five receive the recommended vaccinations, including Polio Vaccination, which is the most effective way to protect children from debilitating diseases.