African health ministers have renewed their commitment to ending all forms of polio and protecting the hard-won gains of eradication that have saved millions of children across the continent from the poliovirus. This pledge was made during two high-level sessions at the Seventy-fifth World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 25 to 27 August 2025. The ministers emphasized the importance of stronger coordination and cross-border collaboration to ensure polio is eliminated for good.
Ministers highlighted the integration of polio services with broader essential health services as a critical strategy to improve resource efficiency and build community trust. Recent successes include Madagascar’s closure of its circulating type 1 poliovirus outbreak in May 2025, though circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) remains a concern, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa. As of mid-2025, 177 polioviruses were reported across 15 African countries, with most cases concentrated in these high-risk regions.
Type 3 poliovirus, absent since 2022, has also been detected in Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Chad, underscoring the need for vigilant surveillance and rapid response. Ministers agreed on targeted strategies, including microplanning to ensure no child is missed, especially in nomadic or hard-to-reach communities. The deployment of experienced supervisors and independent monitors, along with intensified cross-border coordination, is expected to improve vaccination campaign quality.
Innovations such as Geographic Tracking Systems (GTS) in Chad and Niger have already enhanced campaign effectiveness, using satellite-based mapping and performance tracking. Evaluations between April and June 2025 showed coverage improvements in districts, highlighting the value of data-driven approaches. Ministers stressed that cross-border collaboration remains crucial, as outbreaks in one country pose risks to all neighboring nations.
The sessions also focused on polio transition, emphasizing the integration of eradication functions into national health systems to maintain progress beyond the support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Fifteen countries are actively planning their transitions, while 32 others, though officially transitioned, still face sustainability challenges. The process aims to strengthen national ownership and capacity in disease surveillance, immunization, laboratory services, and emergency response.
African leaders and partners, including the Gates Foundation, recognized recent achievements such as laboratory expansions, rapid outbreak detection, and the closure of variant poliovirus outbreaks through targeted vaccination campaigns. These efforts demonstrate the potential for countries and communities to lead polio eradication efforts. With renewed strategies to stop orphan viruses, reach nomadic children, and enhance campaign quality, African ministers signal that the endgame for polio is within reach, aiming for a polio-free continent where every child is protected from the virus’s devastating effects.
