Regional Commission for the Certification of Polio Eradication in the Americas (RCC)

The responsibilities of the RCC are to:

1. Assess the fulfillment of polio eradication certification requirements in the Region of the Americas, as defined by the Global Certification Commission (GCC), with particular consideration of immunization coverage, surveillance, containment, risk assessment, risk mitigation, and outbreak preparedness;
2. Define, and update as necessary, the documentation required from each country of the Region to demonstrate maintenance of polio-free status;
3. Review updated polio eradication documentation from each country of the Region on an annual basis and report those findings and required actions to the PAHO Regional Director and to the National Certification Committee in each country;
4. Conduct site visits to countries, as required, to review or verify their polio-free status (including laboratory containment of wild, VDPV, and Sabin polioviruses);
5. Work closely with National Certification Committees and provide recommendations to fulfill the requirements for global certification;
6. Review and validate national reports and documentation on laboratory containment of all polioviruses in order to assess progress to minimize poliovirus facility associated risk and recommend actions necessary to achieve laboratory containment goals within the Region.

1. Assess the fulfillment of polio eradication certification requirements in their country, as defined by the Global Certification Commission (GCC) and the Regional Certification Commission, and respond to the following questions:
2. Population Immunity: Is polio vaccination coverage high enough to prevent the circulation of wild poliovirus or emergence of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (cVDPV)?
3. Surveillance: Is polio surveillance sensitive enough to rapidly and reliably detect an imported wild poliovirus or VDPV should it emerge?
4. Containment: Has the country minimized the risks of a facility-associated reintroduction of poliovirus for facilities collecting, handling or storing materials infectious or potentially infectious for polioviruses?
5. Risk Assessment: Has the country conducted a risk assessment down to the subnational level?
6. Risk Mitigation: Has the country developed an appropriate risk mitigation plan?
7. Event and Outbreak Preparedness: Is the country adequately prepared to respond to an event or outbreak if one were to occur?
8. Polio-free Status Assessment: Is the committee firmly convinced that the country was free of polio during the reporting period?
9. Review and approve the polio eradication documentation requested from the RCC on an annual basis and submit the documentation with a signed approval form and letter to the RCC, through the PAHO country office.
10. Review and approve the national response plan for an event or outbreak of polio.
11. Review and approve the reports and documentation on containment of all polioviruses to assess progress to minimize poliovirus facility associated risk and recommend actions necessary to achieve containment goals.
12. Work closely with national authorities on the implementation of RCC recommendations to maintain polio-free status in the country and to fulfill the requirements for global polio eradication certification.
13. Review and respond to letters sent by the RCC with country specific recommendations.
14. When the time comes, review and approve the final certification report and any other required documentation to the RCC.