Authors: Chukwuma Mbaeyi, 1 Abdinoor Mohamed, 2 Brian Ogola Owino, 2 Kumlachew F. Mengistu, 2 Derek Ehrhardt, 1 and Eltayeb Ahmed Elsayed.
Background. Surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is a key strategy adopted for the eradication of polio. Detection of poliovirus circulation is often predicated on the ability to identify AFP cases and test their stool specimens for poliovirus infection in a timely manner. The Village Polio Volunteers (VPV) program was established in 2013 in a bid to strengthen polio eradication activities in Somalia, including AFP surveillance, given the country’s vulnerability to polio outbreaks.