MONROVIA – U.S. CDC Supports the National Public Health Institute of Liberia to Improve Polio and Disease SurveillanceThe United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) is supporting the Government of Liberia to improve surveillance and reporting of suspected polio cases in Nimba, Bong, Margibi, Maryland, River Cess, and River Gee counties. This collaboration reflects the need for expanded surveillance within Liberia to quickly identify and stop outbreaks of polio and other diseases. There are two types of polio vaccines: inactivated poliovirus given by injection and a weakened poliovirus given by the mouth. The U.S. CDC in partnership with the African Field Epidemiology Network are working with the National Public Health Institute of Liberia to identify, combat, and, most importantly, prevent polio outbreaks of this kind. In the first phase of U.S. CDC´s support, which began March 2021, clinical health workers deployed to nine districts in Nimba, Bong, and Margibi counties to engage community health providers and community influencers to reach underserved populations.
