The Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared the end of its latest Ebola outbreak, thanks in part to the trusted infrastructure and expertise of the national polio eradication program and Rotary. Working with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization deployed a multidisciplinary team of seven polio experts to support disease surveillance, logistics, contact tracing, community engagement and vaccinations. 

Leveraging their experience from years of house-to-house vaccination drives, local polio staff helped map hard-to-reach settlements, track population movements and raise awareness about Ebola prevention measures. The presence of trained polio staff on the ground helped to ensure that lifesaving messages and supplies reached every at-risk community. Improved environmental surveillance, rapid case investigation and strengthened laboratory capacity are now cornerstones of the country’s polio strategy. The same assets were used for the Ebola response.

“Polio teams are deeply rooted in communities as they know the terrain, the people, and how to move fast,” said Dr Lusamba Kabamba, Global Polio Eradication Initiative coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.“ Their support is accelerating efforts to contain the virus and protect lives.” Teams were quickly instructed to support surveillance and to use the expertise of Polio teams in micro-planning for the rapid deployment of resources.