WHO celebrates Africa’s major progress in ending polio on World Polio Day 2025
Africa’s renewed commitment to eradicate polio gains global praise
As the world marks World Polio Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has commended Africa’s exceptional progress toward eliminating one of the most devastating diseases in human history.
The global health body described the continent’s achievements as a milestone driven by digital innovation, strong regional collaboration, and resilient health systems.
The 2025 observance, themed “End Polio: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere,” reflects a renewed determination to ensure that no child is left unprotected — regardless of geography, social status, or circumstance.
In his message to commemorate the day, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, celebrated the collective progress made by African nations and urged sustained efforts to finish the fight against the virus once and for all.
Digital innovation and cross-border collaboration power Africa’s success
According to Dr. Janabi, Africa’s strides toward a polio-free future in 2025 have been fueled by several critical strategies — enhanced cross-border coordination, expanded surveillance, and the integration of modern digital tools. These innovations have significantly improved efficiency, transparency, and accountability in vaccination campaigns.
“Between January and October 2025, fifteen African countries reached nearly 200 million children with at least one dose of polio vaccine through supplementary immunisation rounds,” Janabi revealed. “Thirteen of these countries mounted synchronised campaigns, even in highly challenging contexts.”
One of the most notable examples of regional coordination came from the Horn of Africa, where Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia jointly vaccinated over 18 million children during two consecutive immunization rounds.
Similarly, in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel region, Ministers of Health from several countries launched a coordinated campaign in April 2025 to protect 83 million children across borders. This level of collaboration, WHO said, is a testament to Africa’s unified approach in addressing public health challenges that transcend national boundaries.
Significant decline in virus outbreaks across the continent
The results of these large-scale vaccination drives have been profound. WHO data show that the number of African countries with active type 2 poliovirus outbreaks fell from 24 in 2024 to 14 in 2025, while total virus detections decreased by 54 percent within the same period.
In May 2025, Madagascar officially declared the end of its circulating variant poliovirus type 1 outbreak, following months of intense vaccination and surveillance efforts.
Dr. Janabi credited these outcomes to the continent’s strengthened surveillance networks, improved data sharing, and the use of real-time digital tracking systems that help monitor the movement and detection of the virus.
Stronger laboratory and genomic sequencing capacity
Africa’s progress against polio is anchored on stronger laboratory and surveillance systems. By mid-2025, 11 WHO-supported laboratories had expanded their genomic sequencing capacity, while six others began piloting advanced molecular techniques to trace virus variants more accurately.
A major milestone came earlier this year when Uganda’s Sanger sequencing facility received full accreditation — a development that has boosted the region’s ability to detect, analyze, and respond to new virus strains more rapidly.
Janabi emphasized that these improvements in diagnostic capacity have not only enhanced the fight against polio but have also strengthened the continent’s readiness for other public health emergencies.
Environmental surveillance covers nearly all African countries
Environmental surveillance — the monitoring of wastewater and sewage for traces of poliovirus — has also emerged as a cornerstone of Africa’s eradication effort. WHO’s latest report notes that such monitoring systems now cover 98 percent of countries in the WHO African Region.
This wide coverage allows public health authorities to detect poliovirus early, often before cases appear in communities, enabling swift containment and preventing potential outbreaks.
Technology-driven accountability and efficiency for frontline workers
The deployment of technology has revolutionized how vaccination campaigns are implemented across the continent. Over 850,000 frontline vaccinators now receive digital payments via mobile-money platforms, ensuring transparency and speed. WHO reports that 95 percent of vaccinators are paid within 10 days of completing their campaigns — a remarkable achievement that has boosted morale and accountability.
Furthermore, the WHO AFRO GIS Centre’s geospatial mapping tools have helped identify previously unreached populations — including nomadic groups, riverine communities, and border settlements — ensuring that vaccines reach every child, everywhere.
Challenges persist despite remarkable progress
While celebrating the achievements, Dr. Janabi cautioned that the fight against polio is not over. He cited several challenges that could undermine recent gains, including declining routine immunisation coverage, security threats, campaign interruptions, and vaccine hesitancy in some communities.
“To truly end polio, countries must sustain cross-border coordination, reach zero-dose and under-immunised children, expand surveillance and sequencing capacity, and maintain high-quality outbreak response,” he urged.
The final push: sustaining commitment and funding
Dr. Janabi stressed that eradicating polio goes beyond halting transmission; it also involves strengthening the broader health systems that support immunization and emergency response.
“Ending polio means reinforcing the systems, workforce, and networks that sustain vaccination, outbreak preparedness, and resilient health services,” he explained.
He called for continued political commitment and financial support from governments, international partners, and the private sector, emphasizing that the final phase of eradication requires consistent vigilance and investment.
“The last mile is always the hardest, but it is also the most important,” Janabi concluded. “On this World Polio Day, let us renew our determination to reach every child, with every vaccine, everywhere — and consign polio to history forever.”
Looking ahead: a continent closer to victory
Africa’s progress toward ending polio in 2025 stands as a beacon of hope and a model of what can be achieved through collaboration, innovation, and resilience. As WHO and partner agencies continue to strengthen surveillance, expand digital tools, and promote equitable vaccine access, the dream of a polio-free Africa is closer than ever.
World Polio Day 2025 is not just a moment for celebration — it is a reminder that collective action, backed by science and technology, can end even the most persistent diseases.
