Infectious Disease · Public Health · 3 h ago
WHO certifies African Region free of wild poliovirus
The Africa Regional Certification Commission certified the WHO African Region as free of wild poliovirus after four years without a case. The milestone covers 47 countries, while circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 remains present in 16 countries in the region.
- African Region certified wild poliovirus-free after four years without a case.
- Five of six WHO regions are now wild poliovirus-free.
- cVDPV2 was reported in 16 African Region countries.
- Vaccination interruptions and low immunity remain concerns.
The Africa Regional Certification Commission certified the WHO African Region as free of wild poliovirus after four years without a case. The region comprises 47 countries. With the certification, five of the six WHO regions—representing more than 90% of the world’s population—are free of wild poliovirus; transmission continues in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
WHO and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) attributed the achievement to coordinated immunization efforts despite population movement, conflict and insecurity. The programme’s infrastructure has also supported routine immunization and outbreak response, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The certification applies to wild poliovirus, not all poliovirus strains. GPEI reported that type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) was present in 16 countries in the African Region, and warned that low-immunity pockets and COVID-19-related vaccination interruptions could increase outbreak risk. The announcement is a public-health milestone, but continued immunization and surveillance remain important to protect progress and address other poliovirus strains.
Is this summary clinically accurate?
Help fellow clinicians: your rating sends inaccurate summaries straight to our editors.
Sign in to rate this summary →Source
World Health Organization: Global polio eradication initiative applauds WHO African region for wild polio-free certification ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.