Five African countries have successfully interrupted the spread of poliovirus type 2, marking a significant step in the continent’s continuing campaign to protect children from polio and move closer to global eradication.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa confirmed the closure of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Congo and Uganda following independent technical assessments conducted between January and June 2026.
The assessments, carried out by teams from the Independent Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA), examined disease surveillance systems, laboratory findings, epidemiological data, vaccination activities and population immunity before determining that transmission had been interrupted.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said the achievement demonstrated the value of sustained national action and cooperation among health authorities, communities and international partners.
“These outbreak closures demonstrate what can be achieved through strong national leadership, dedicated health workers and close collaboration between governments, communities and partners,” Janabi said.
He cautioned, however, that the milestone should not lead to complacency.
“While this is an important milestone, it is not the end of the journey,” he said, stressing the need for continued surveillance and high immunisation coverage to prevent the virus from returning.
Sustained response
The five countries reached the milestone through different approaches tailored to their individual circumstances, but the assessments identified several common factors behind their progress.
These included rapid detection of infections, effective disease surveillance, strong government leadership, community involvement and repeated, high-quality vaccination campaigns.
In the Republic of Congo, health authorities strengthened surveillance and conducted several vaccination campaigns after poliovirus was detected. The country's last reported detection was in December 2023, after which authorities concentrated on maintaining sensitive surveillance systems and addressing immunity gaps in high-risk communities.
Burundi, which declared a circulating poliovirus type 2 outbreak in March 2023, intensified routine immunisation and surveillance with support from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Targeted vaccination campaigns, epidemiological investigations and expanded environmental surveillance helped contain the virus.
In Uganda, authorities intensified surveillance and outbreak-response measures after poliovirus was detected in May 2024. Coordination between national and local health authorities was strengthened as the country worked to contain transmission.
Ghana combined stronger laboratory capacity with disease surveillance and rapid outbreak response. Both Ghana and Uganda upgraded their laboratory capabilities earlier this year, improving their ability to identify poliovirus quickly and respond to other vaccine-preventable diseases.
In Guinea-Bissau, vaccination campaigns were directed towards underserved communities, while disease surveillance was strengthened to improve population immunity and identify possible infections. The country has reported no poliovirus detections since July 2021.
Risk remains
Despite the latest progress, health authorities warn that the closure of an outbreak does not mean the threat of poliovirus has disappeared.
The risk of importation or renewed transmission remains, particularly in countries bordering areas where the virus continues to circulate.
The recent detection of poliovirus in Madagascar following the closure of a previous outbreak illustrates the continuing vulnerability of countries that have interrupted transmission.
WHO and its partners are therefore urging governments to maintain strong surveillance systems, high vaccination coverage and the capacity to respond rapidly to any new detection.
Mike McGovern, chair of the GPEI Polio Oversight Board and Rotary International's International PolioPlus Committee, described the closures as an important achievement in protecting children.
“Every outbreak closed means more children protected from a disease that can cause lifelong paralysis,” McGovern said.
“Rotary is proud to stand alongside governments and health workers across Africa as we continue the effort to end polio once and for all.”
Strengthening health systems
The response to polio has also produced broader benefits for health systems across the region.
African countries have expanded acute flaccid paralysis surveillance and environmental surveillance, improved laboratory capacity and increased engagement with communities to build confidence in vaccines.
Targeted vaccination campaigns have also been used to reach children in remote, underserved and border communities who might otherwise be missed.
In 2025, the African Region accelerated efforts to modernise its polio laboratory network, improving diagnostic capacity and reducing the time required to identify poliovirus.
Geographic information systems and other geospatial technologies have also helped health authorities identify settlements that may have been missed by vaccination teams, track population movements and improve vaccination planning.
UNICEF Regional Directors Etleva Kadilli and Gilles Fagninou said the achievement belonged primarily to governments, communities and frontline health workers.
“These milestones belong first and foremost to the governments, communities and frontline health workers who have worked tirelessly to protect children from polio,” they said.
They added that the progress demonstrated that meaningful gains could be achieved even in difficult circumstances, while warning that routine immunisation and efforts to reach every child must continue.
Gavi's Chief Country Delivery Officer, Thabani Maphosa, said the investments made during the polio response would strengthen health systems beyond the immediate campaign against the disease.
“This is a positive development not only for the fight against polio but also for the overall effort to save lives through stronger health and immunization systems,” Maphosa said.
He said improvements in community engagement, surveillance, mapping, vaccination outreach and outbreak response could help countries tackle other vaccine-preventable diseases and infectious disease threats.
A milestone, not the finish line
Health experts and polio-eradication coordinators say the latest outbreak closures demonstrate the effectiveness of combining surveillance, vaccination, community engagement and rapid response.
The countries have also benefited from financial and technical support from international partners, including Canada, the European Investment Bank, the Gates Foundation, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, alongside other donors supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Polio remains a highly infectious disease capable of causing irreversible paralysis. Although there is no cure, vaccination can prevent infection and protect children from the disease.
The technical closure of a polio outbreak is a country-specific determination based on evidence that transmission associated with that particular outbreak has stopped. It follows an independent review by an OBRA team and a subsequent technical assessment and decision by the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
The latest milestone therefore represents an important victory—but not the end of the fight.
Maintaining high vaccination coverage, detecting infections quickly and ensuring that every child, including those in hard-to-reach communities, is protected will remain essential if Africa is to sustain its gains and contribute to the ultimate goal of a world free of all forms of poliovirus.