As the world marks World Polio Day 2025, Africa celebrates its progress toward a polio-free continent and renews its commitment to protect every child from this preventable disease.
This year’s theme “End Polio: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere” serves as a powerful reminder of the urgency to ensure that no child, regardless of location or circumstance, is left unvaccinated.
Across the African Region, countries have continued to advance toward this goal through strengthened cross-border coordination, expanded disease surveillance, and improved laboratory capacity. The use of digital innovation has also transformed vaccination delivery, enhancing equity and efficiency in even the most remote areas.
Between January and October 2025, 15 African countries reached nearly 200 million children with at least one dose of the polio vaccine through supplementary immunization rounds. Thirteen countries conducted synchronized campaigns, demonstrating Africa’s growing regional cooperation in health response.
In the Horn of Africa, nations including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia jointly vaccinated more than 18 million children in two consecutive rounds , a milestone that underscores the power of collaboration. Similarly, in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, Ministers of Health launched a coordinated campaign in April to protect 83 million children across border regions.
The impact of these efforts is visible. The number of African countries with active type 2 poliovirus outbreaks dropped from 24 in 2024 to 14 in 2025, and total virus detections decreased by 54%. As of October, two countries reported type 1 cases, 14 countries type 2, and three type 3.
In a major success story, Madagascar officially declared the end of its variant poliovirus type 1 outbreak in May 2025 , following months of sustained response and vigilant surveillance.
By mid-2025, 11 WHO-supported laboratories had expanded their genomic sequencing capacity, while six began piloting advanced techniques to track variants. Notably, Uganda’s Sanger facility earned WHO accreditation early this year, enhancing regional capacity for early detection and rapid response.
Environmental surveillance now covers 98% of African countries, allowing health officials to monitor wastewater for polioviruses providing early warnings before outbreaks spread.
Digital technology has also been a game changer. Over 850,000 frontline workers now receive mobile-money payments, with 95% paid within 10 days of campaign completion. This innovation has improved accountability and ensured timely delivery, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Meanwhile, geospatial mapping by the WHO AFRO GIS Centre is helping countries identify and vaccinate children in nomadic and border communities previously missed by traditional campaigns.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Declining routine immunization, insecurity, vaccine hesitancy, and funding gaps continue to threaten gains made. Experts warn that sustaining high-quality outbreak response and ensuring every child is reached — especially those who have never received a vaccine , will be critical in ending polio for good.
Eradicating polio in Africa goes beyond stopping transmission , it is about building stronger health systems, empowering communities, and reinforcing preparedness for future outbreaks. The final push requires unity, financing, and unwavering commitment at every level.
