Polio closer to eradication as Africa ramps up vaccination
Africa’s large‑scale polio vaccination campaigns are pushing the disease toward elimination, but funding gaps and new outbreaks still threaten progress.
24 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
This month, health authorities in Africa reported polio detections in six countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Earlier this year, the virus was detected in Australia, the United Kingdom, Malawi, Zambia, and South Africa. The detections remind us that the virus is still present, but the vaccine that stops the virus remains in use.
In Blantyre, Malawi, the virus was first identified in an environmental sample from the city’s sewage system. The government launched an intensive four‑day immunisation campaign that reached 1.3 million children, preventing further spread.
Massive vaccination campaigns keep momentum
By 2025, countries had vaccinated nearly 200 million under‑five children across sub‑Saharan Africa. In 2026, 168 million children received at least one dose between January and September, with campaigns in 22 countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo saw its type 1 cases fall from 149 in 2022 to just one in 2025. Wild polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while vaccine‑derived outbreaks continue elsewhere.
Strong surveillance, rapid laboratory testing, and cross‑border coordination are essential to keep the disease from re‑emerging. Polio infrastructure and networks are also supporting the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, showing that the investment in polio also strengthens health security. Secure global funding is needed to fill gaps and sustain these capacities after eradication.