The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Certification Commission was established in 1995 and is chaired by Dr Yagoub Al Mazrou.

Terms of reference of the Regional Certification Commission (RCC)

Review annually updated polio eradication documentation from each country of the Region on immunization and population immunity, acute flaccid paralysis and supplementary surveillance performance, laboratory functions, poliovirus containment activities, and outbreak preparedness;

Report findings and recommend actions to the Regional Director and to the national certification committee (NCC);

Assess the risks to certification and define required risk mitigation measures to be implemented at the national and sub-national levels (related to geography, access, population groups, health system) by considering following factors:

Polio immunization coverage and population immunity levels high enough to prevent circulation of imported wild poliovirus (WPV) and emergence of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV)

Existing health/surveillance systems sensitive enough to rapidly and reliably detect any WPV importation or VDPV circulation

National inventory of facilities hosting poliovirus infectious and potentially infectious materials updated, and all these materials adequately handled and contained under GAPIII requirements to prevent reintroduction into population and environment

Outbreak response preparedness plan and quality of simulation exercise within the past three years

Work closely with NCCs and advise them to be able to function as an active oversight body (e.g. in terms of adequate membership, frequency of meetings and roles and responsibilities);

Regularly review technical recommendations from global and regional advisory groups (regional TAGs) and consider their relevance for maintaining polio-free status;

Conduct site visits to countries as required to review or verify their polio-free status;

Coordinate with key groups like NCCs, regional containment, surveillance and immunization coordinators and participate in relevant national and regional meetings;

Review and validate data regarding poliovirus containment progress submitted by National Polio Containment Coordinator as a part of annual national reports on in order to assess the progress in achieving global containment goals and to make appropriate recommendations;

Endorse the regional and national plans of actions for polio eradication in the Region, if applicable;

Provide regular feedback to Global Commission for the Certification of Eradication of Poliomyelitis (GCC) on the progress of relevant Phase of GAPIII, and submit a final report when containment activities for relevant Phase of GAPIII, have been completed;

Bring any unresolved issues to the attention of the GCC;

Submit annual summary report to GCC on sustained level of immunization, surveillance and progress in laboratory containment in the Region;

When required by GCC, submit the final report, for polio-free certification.

Read the latest meeting reports of the RCC

Eastern Mediterranean Regional Certification Commission members