The Congo seemed to have eradicated poliomyelitis, an acute viral infectious disease; but an outbreak occurred in October 2010, spreading to 500 households, representing 20 % of worldwide cases that year. ACTED develops emergency and mid-term sanitation actions to fight the strain’s persistence in wastewater.

The last known case of poliomyelitis in the Congo dates back to 2000. The country had been certified as having eradicated the wild polio virus after the latest national campaign in 2006. From October 2010, however, symptoms have been reappearing among young, 16 to 28 year-old adults: headaches, vomiting, and paralysis. From 11 October, 4 to 5 cases of acute flaccid paralysis are being diagnosed every day. In less than a month, 518 cases were detected, including 216 registered deaths. Though the immunization campaign was quick, the entire emergency response procedure had to be redeveloped.

ACTED’s approach is to improve domestic and public sanitation, to limit the existence of prone environments such as still water, improving waste management methods, and educating populations to the disease and risky practices.

ACTED’s intervention focuses on densely populated districts Louandjili and Tié Tié, which have no reliable water distribution or evacuation facilities. According to local health authorities, districts 3 and 4 harbour respectively 28 % (113 cases) and 36 % (145 cases) of registered polio cases.

The four-month project, supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department, will improve the environment’s sanitation process, as well as access to target areas in the struggle against poliomyelitis. Cash for Work activities in evacuating waste and wastewater, setting up local sanitation and hygiene committees, and a mass sensitization campaign should reach 130,000 people.

The Global polio eradication initiative, signed by 166 States, was launched in 1988. Since the launch, the number of cases dropped by more than 99 %. In 2010, four countries are still endemic.