Wild poliovirus was confirmed in 33 of 85 cases. Results have not been reported for 48 of the 133 cases for which two specimens were collected. World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe. Vaccines and Other Biologicals Dept, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Chad connects western and central Africa where polio is endemic.
Three decades of civil war have left Chad with a damaged health infrastructure, severe financial problems, and limited human resources. Chad's MOH is increasingly successful in implementing WHO's recommendations for supplemental OPV vaccination and intensified surveillance. Enhanced AFP and wild poliovirus surveillance has demonstrated that Chad is still a substantial reservoir for poliovirus transmission in Africa. Improved surveillance will depend on better coordination among all levels of government and local nongovernmental organizations, and cooperation across international borders. MOH priorities for 2000 are to implement high quality NIDs, particularly in the populated areas of southern Chad and among nomadic groups, and to maintain and improve the quality of AFP surveillance.