Polio outbreak simulation exercise to take place in Amman this week

AMMAN — The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday it will conduct a polio outbreak simulation exercise (POSE) on Wednesday and Thursday to test Jordan’s preparedness and capacity to respond to a potential polio outbreak. 

The workshop, to be held at Le Meridien Hotel, will be attended by approximately 60 participants, including Ministry of Health epidemiologists, and immunisation, communication and surveillance officers, laboratory workers, university and private sector paediatricians, doctors from the Royal Medical Services, and focal points from Rotary Amman and UN agencies. 

“POSE is a very useful tool to test just how ready and able a country is to respond to a polio outbreak,” said Cristina Profili, WHO representative to Jordan. 

“Jordan has done a good job at keeping its children safe from polio, but until the virus is wiped out globally, the country must strive to keep immunity levels high and must be prepared to act should the virus be reintroduced,” a WHO statement quoted her as saying.

Jordan has not seen a case of polio since 1992. However, outbreaks in neighbouring Syria and Iraq in 2013 and 2014 put the country at high risk of re-infection. 

With wild polio transmission still occurring in endemic Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as in Nigeria, countries around the world including Jordan are working to increase levels of immunisation coverage against polio and strengthen surveillance systems to detect traces of the virus. 

As an added measure, they are putting into place and testing tailored national plans to deal with an outbreak. 

“Polio outbreak preparedness and response plans already exist in Jordan,” said Tarek Abdelrahman Elsayed, WHO technical officer and POSE workshop coordinator. 

“The objective of the POSE training is to make sure these plans are airtight and to upgrade them according to the most recent guidelines. We work with participants so that they are familiar with current protocols and procedures in responding to [polio] outbreaks,” he added. 

The POSE will cover four main areas of polio outbreak preparedness and response: coordination, immunisation, surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis — a major indicator for polio, communication and social mobilisation. 

“The simulation exercise gives participants a chance to put theory into practice, exposing them to the realities of a polio outbreak,” said Elsayed.