The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that funding constraints and gaps in vaccination coverage are threatening Africa’s efforts to eradicate polio, calling for sustained political commitment, increased domestic investment and predictable financing.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, gave the warning in his message to mark World Polio Day 2026, stressing that although significant progress had been made, continued transmission and the risk of renewed outbreaks required urgent and sustained action.
Janabi said the detection of poliovirus type 1 in Madagascar, following the closure of an earlier outbreak in 2025, highlighted the danger of leaving vulnerable communities without adequate vaccination.
He noted that the WHO African Region was certified free of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020, while independent assessments this year confirmed the closure of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
According to him, more than 168 million children received at least one dose of polio vaccine between January and September 2026 through 55 vaccination campaign rounds across 22 African countries.
He, however, expressed concern that financial constraints were forcing health authorities to prioritise high-risk areas, leaving other vulnerable communities without sufficient protection.
The WHO regional director identified the Lake Chad Basin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as areas where poliovirus transmission remained a major challenge.
He disclosed that additional vaccination rounds required to respond to the type 2 outbreak in the DRC were still unfunded, threatening progress towards the 2026 eradication targets.
Janabi stressed that reaching children with a single dose was insufficient, noting that every child needed all recommended doses, supported by reliable routine immunisation services.
He identified conflict, displacement, geographical barriers and concerns about vaccines as factors limiting access to immunisation, urging health authorities to bring services closer to communities while addressing parents’ concerns through respectful engagement.
On disease surveillance, Janabi said wastewater testing and geospatial technologies were helping countries detect poliovirus and identify communities that vaccination teams might have missed.
He added that laboratories across the African Region tested more than 100,000 polio samples in 2025, with over 90 per cent analysed within agreed timelines.
He said the region also expanded its sequencing capacity from two to four laboratories, improving the timeliness of sequencing results from below 50 per cent to nearly 70 per cent last year.
Janabi further highlighted the accreditation of Nigeria’s Maiduguri laboratory as a boost to regional surveillance capacity, while noting that emerging technologies, including Direct Detection Nanopore Sequencing, had demonstrated the potential to significantly reduce laboratory turnaround times.
He said stronger laboratory systems and disease surveillance were also supporting responses to other public health emergencies, including the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
The WHO regional director also cited the adoption of the Regional Framework for Polio Transition and Sustainability in the WHO African Region 2026–2035 by health ministers during the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in August.
According to him, the framework is designed to integrate polio eradication capacities into national health systems, preserve technical expertise and strengthen routine immunisation and emergency preparedness.
Janabi commended health workers, community leaders, parents, Rotarians and international partners for their contributions to polio eradication efforts.
He specifically acknowledged support from Canada, the European Investment Bank, the Gates Foundation, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, alongside other partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Calling on governments to sustain political leadership and increase domestic investment, he urged international partners to provide predictable funding to support vaccination campaigns, surveillance and rapid outbreak response.
“Polio eradication is within reach, but it requires an emergency mindset, swift action, sustained financing, strong accountability and political commitment,” Janabi said.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to working with countries and communities to strengthen vaccination, surveillance and rapid response, stressing that sustained investment was essential to securing a polio-free Africa for every child.
