The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Africa is within reach of being officially certified polio-free, marking a historic milestone in global public health.
In a statement released on Thursday, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, confirmed that no cases of wild poliovirus have been detected on the continent for over a year.
The last reported case occurred in Nigeria in August 2024.
“This is a monumental achievement for Africa,” Dr. Moeti said. “Decades of relentless vaccination campaigns, community engagement, and cross-border collaboration have brought us to this pivotal moment.”
The Africa Regional Certification Commission is now reviewing final documentation from all 47 member states in the WHO African Region.
If approved, the continent will be declared free of indigenous wild poliovirus, joining four other WHO regions already certified: the Americas (1994), Western Pacific (2000), Europe (2002), and South-East Asia (2014).
Despite the progress, health officials caution that circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) remains a challenge in some areas, particularly in conflict zones and regions with low immunization coverage.
“Certification of wild poliovirus eradication does not mean we stop,” Dr. Moeti emphasized.
“We must sustain high vaccination rates and strong surveillance to protect this victory and address remaining risks.”
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by WHO, Rotary International, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has invested billions and mobilized millions of health workers across Africa since 1988.
Only two countries worldwide—Afghanistan and Pakistan—continue to report cases of wild poliovirus.
Africa’s near-certification comes 25 years after the continent reported over 70,000 polio cases annually. Today, thanks to widespread immunization, the paralyzing disease is on the verge of regional extinction.
