Canada’s roles and progress in poliovirus containment

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Global polio eradication campaign

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative works towards eliminating polioviruses that remain in circulation in the population: wild poliovirus type 1 and vaccine-derived poliovirus.

As part of this initiative, World Health Organization (WHO) member states are preparing to contain all types of polioviruses only in certified safe and secure facilities. This will reduce the risk of laboratory containment breaches reintroducing polio to the population.

The Government of Canada has committed to this initiative under World Health Assembly resolution 71.16, and is working towards keeping Canadians healthy and safe through containing polioviruses.

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What we're doing

The Public Health Agency of Canada Centre for Biosecurity has established a National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus. It has significantly reduced the number of facilities storing polioviruses in Canada.

We've also successfully completed a national poliovirus inventory survey, and promoted destruction or transfer of all unnecessary poliovirus materials in Canada.

In support of laboratory audits under the WHO's Global Action Plan for poliovirus containment, Canada was:

The strict audit process ensures Canadian facilities certified to work with polioviruses do so in a safe and secure manner. These measures are in-place to protect the general Canadian public, and support the global polio eradication campaign.

Canada's legislative authority under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act requires any facility working with poliovirus to:

Canadian facilities must:

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National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus

The National Authority for the Containment of Poliovirus's responsibilities under the WHO's Global Action Plan include:

In addition, they:

Poliovirus essential facilities

Facilities that handle and store eradicated types of poliovirus will require certification as a poliovirus essential facility. This type of facility maintains the ability to work with and store infectious and potentially infectious poliovirus materials. They serve critical national and international functions, including:

Poliovirus essential facilities must be certified to meet global containment requirements through the WHO's comprehensive Containment Certification Scheme. Qualified auditors from the Centre for Biosecurity inspect these facilities to ensure they meet stringent requirements for:

Poliovirus potentially infectious materials and novel poliovirus strains

Facilities that handle or store poliovirus potentially infectious material or novel poliovirus strains must inform the Centre for Biosecurity.

Potentially infectious materials include any:

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Contact

National Authority for the Containment of Polioviruses

Email: polio@phac-aspc.gc.ca

Centre for Biosecurity

Email: biosafety.biosecurite@phac-aspc.gc.ca

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