Harare – Zimbabwe is strengthening its capability to detect and respond to poliovirus with the establishment of a new Environmental Surveillance unit in its Nationwide Polio Laboratory. This milestone marks a predominant increase to the nation’s public health infrastructure, taking into legend earlier detection of poliovirus and extra effective outbreak response efforts.
With toughen from World Health Group (WHO) and by a grant from the Gates Foundation, the new ES unit will improve Zimbabwe’s capability to ascertain wastewater samples for poliovirus, providing severe files on virus circulation even earlier than clinical cases emerge. The blended toughen of every establishments, along with the devoted efforts of Rotarians on the bottom, has facilitated the procurement of specialized tools, the practicing of laboratory personnel, and the implementation of stringent protocols to substantiate that correct and educated take a look at results.
Environmental surveillance is a confirmed tool in polio eradication efforts, helping countries hastily name and comprise doable outbreaks.
Recognizing the progress made by the Zimbabwe Nationwide Polio Laboratory, an educated commissioning ceremony of the environmental surveillance laboratory took residing this week on the College of Treatment and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe. The tournament brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from WHO, Gates Foundation, eHealth Africa, the Ministry of Health and Shrimp one Care, and the University of Zimbabwe.
This commissioning marks a predominant milestone in strengthening Zimbabwe’s laboratory community, guaranteeing that the nation stays geared as much as detect and respond to poliovirus threats successfully. The commitment to continuous enchancment and adherence to global standards will extra solidify the laboratory’s role in Africa’s polio eradication efforts.
Previously, Zimbabwe relied on sending environmental samples to regional laboratories for testing, which delayed results and response cases. With its agree with environmental surveillance unit now operational, the nation will devour the abet of quicker detection and improved resolution-making in the combat in opposition to polio.
“Making sure excessive-quality polio diagnostics is severe in detecting and responding to any traces of polioviruses. A predominant milestone in 2024 used to be that every 16 Polio Laboratories in the WHO African Bother efficiently underwent accreditation visits and purchased fleshy accreditation, marking a fixed enchancment in laboratory quality and demonstrating the countries powerful laboratory capability. The laboratories devour devoted consultants working tirelessly to uphold global (WHO) standards. Valid funding in quality assurance and innovation will withhold us now not off target in opposition to a polio-free future.” – Dr Jude Kfutwah, WHO AFRO labs coordinator.
Zimbabwe Nationwide Polio Laboratory’s Accreditation Rush
As one of the 16 accepted polio laboratories in the WHO African Bother, the Zimbabwe Nationwide Polio Laboratory has been instrumental in detecting variant poliovirus form 2 (cVDPV2), with forty five isolates define in wastewater between August 2023 and December 2024.
Additionally, in January 2024, a 10-Twelve months-damaged-down girl used to be diagnosed with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) brought about by cVDPV2, marking the first human case in the nation one day of that length. These findings underscore the importance of powerful surveillance and vaccination campaigns to prevent extra transmission.
The lab purchased fleshy accreditation in 2022 to conduct virus isolation and intratypic differentiation recommendations, which entail detecting and identifying thoroughly different forms of polio. As section of its continued efforts, it used to be additionally instructed to residing up environmental surveillance to song the virus in water and sewage.
By 2024, predominant progress had been made in refurbishing the readily available home for an environmental surveillance laboratory. The works were accomplished in 2025 and parallel testing additionally accomplished with gorgeous comparison of parallel take a look at results. The group of workers purchased practicing from WHO, and in issue that they’ve started independent take a look at of samples with technical supervision from the regional office and the regional reference lab of NICD. Besides, WHO has effect in residing a quality withhold watch over machine for frequent monitoring of the lab for timely and quality commence of results.
As Zimbabwe strengthens its polio surveillance with this new functionality, the Ministry of Health and Shrimp one Care, in collaboration with WHO and partners, stays dedicated to making sure that no child is left at possibility of this preventable illness. The ES unit will now not handiest toughen Zimbabwe’s polio eradication efforts nonetheless will additionally contribute to regional surveillance, reinforcing Africa’s commitment to a polio-free future.
