To support Qatar’s national Polio control efforts, the WHO regional Poliomyelitis Eradication Programme team conducted a mission trip to the State of Qatar for 6 days. The aim of the mission was to assess the national Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance system’s capacity and operations as part of the preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022 tournament.
The WHO EMRO Poliomyelitis Eradication Programme team worked with several healthcare institutions including the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), HMC, PHCC, Sidra, and other national stakeholders. The mission activities involved assessing the AFP surveillance system processes, reviewing the national Polio outbreak preparedness and response plan, presenting the newly updated Polio outbreak response SOPs, visiting the reporting AFP healthcare facilities, and most importantly facilitating a Polio Outbreak Simulation Exercise (POSE). The aim of the exercise is to validate and enhance operational plans, processes, and systems in the event of a possible Polio outbreak.
The exercise addressed the communication, coordination, and collaboration at the national level, and touched on challenging scenarios that required technical and operational teams to address complex problems that simulated a real experience. Productive discussions took place, leadership identified issues in Polio preparedness and response arrangements, and provided a variety of concrete perspectives for improvement.
Children under the age of five are most frequently impacted by Poliomyelitis, a highly infectious disease. In 1990, Qatar reported the last case of polio and succeeded in being polio-free thanks to its strong national immunization program, reliable surveillance system, and advanced healthcare system. Since Polio is a disease targeted for eradication, the WHO is recommending that all countries remain vigilant and strengthen their surveillance and detection system, as well as their national vaccination programs which remain the top priorities of the healthcare system in the State of Qatar.
Source: Ministry of Public Health