24 October 2024
World Polio Day 2024 - The road to zero polio in Africa
World Polio Day 2024
The road to zero polio in Africa
24 October 2024
World Polio Day, marked on 24 October, serves to call for action to intensify efforts to end all forms of polio. The African region has remained steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding children from the devastating effects of the poliovirus. This is a journey marked by the determination of countless individuals across the continent, governments, health workers and communities that have brought us closer than ever to the goal of a region free of all forms of polio.
Message from the WHO AFRO Regional Director
World Polio Day finds us at a pivotal moment in our mission to eradicate polio. We are now closer than ever to a polio-free Africa, but much work remains. As I prepare my transition from my role as World Health Organization´s Regional Director for Africa, I find myself reflecting on our journey to fight against polio. This is not just a reflection on a decade of challenges and triumphs, but a meditation on the human spirit’s capacity to overcome adversity through shared purpose and commitment. It is a journey marked by the determination of countless individuals across the continent, governments, healthcare workers, and communities that have brough us closer than ever to the dream of an Africa free of all forms of polio, a virus that can cause paralysis and death in a matter of days.
This year, our region has reached significant milestones, including the notable success of Madagascar, which has now gone a full year without detecting circulating variant poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1). In Southern Africa, we marked the closure of the imported wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) outbreak that was declared in 2022. The swift and coordinated efforts of Malawi, Mozambique, and neighboring countries Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe also inspire optimism. These achievements highlight the strength of joint action, the resilience of our communities, and the unwavering dedication of frontline health workers.
The results are clear: when comparing data from 2023 and 2024 (as of 31 August for each year), cVDPV1 detections have decreased by 96%, while cVDPV2 detections have dropped by 65%.
English | French | Portuguese
Featured stories
Polio Laboratory Network - the “silent hero” that halted wild polio spread in Malawi, Mozambique
In the relentless fight against poliomyelitis, poliovirus diagnostic laboratories across the African region have emerged as the “silent hero”, playing a pivotal role in identifying the wild poliovirus type 1 outbreak that was detected in Malawi and Mozambique in 2022 and successfully closed in May 2024.
Kenya, Uganda cross-border polio vaccination reaches 6.5 million children
Polio knows no borders, and neither should the fight to eradicate it. Cross-border communities, especially nomadic or those living in remote areas, are at heightened risk of infection due to their mobility and the porous nature of international boundaries. This is why the coordination of vaccination efforts between neighboring countries is critical to achieving comprehensive immunization coverage, so that the risk of paralysis due to the virus can be avoided.
Enhancing polio detection with advanced sequencing technology
As countries ramp up vaccination efforts to protect children against the virus, one of the most critical components of this fight lies in early and accurate detection. To enhance this, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), together with The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) and Gates Foundation, is focusing on equipping and training laboratories across Africa with an innovative advanced sanger sequencing technology, a crucial method in investigating new regions in the poliovirus genome.