Five African Countries Halt Polio Outbreaks

Five African countries have successfully stopped the spread of circulating poliovirus type 2 outbreaks, marking a milestone in efforts to eradicate the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa.

Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Congo and Uganda were declared to have interrupted transmission after technical assessments conducted between January and June 2026.

Teams from the Independent Outbreak Response Assessment reviewed disease surveillance, laboratory, and epidemiological data before concluding that transmission had been interrupted in the five countries. The WHO Regional Office for Africa subsequently confirmed the closure of the outbreaks.

Burundi detected the circulating poliovirus type 2 outbreak in March 2023, raising concerns after Africa had been certified free of wild polio three years earlier. Health authorities responded by strengthening routine vaccination and surveillance, while targeted vaccination campaigns and expanded environmental surveillance were used to reach vulnerable children and identify further transmission.

In the Republic of Congo, authorities strengthened surveillance and carried out vaccination campaigns after detecting the virus. The country’s last detection was recorded in December 2023.

Uganda intensified surveillance and outbreak response after detecting poliovirus in May 2024, while Ghana combined disease surveillance and rapid response with investments in laboratory capacity. Guinea-Bissau focused on reaching underserved populations through targeted vaccination and improved surveillance and has recorded no poliovirus detections since July 2021.

Thabani Maphosa, Gavi’s Chief Country Delivery Officer, said the investments made in reaching missed children, community engagement, surveillance and outbreak response could strengthen health and immunisation systems beyond the polio response.

Health experts have cautioned against complacency as the risk of poliovirus reintroduction remains. More than 180 polio detections have been reported across Africa in 2026, with the Lake Chad Basin and Horn of Africa identified as the region’s main transmission zones.

African health ministers have adopted a 10-year framework for 2026–2035 focused on maintaining surveillance, laboratory capacity, routine immunisation and sustainable domestic financing.

The WHO said continued surveillance and high immunisation coverage remain necessary to prevent future outbreaks.

SOURCE: TRT Afrika English