The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, has called on African governments and international partners to sustain political commitment, increase domestic investment and provide predictable funding to accelerate efforts to eradicate polio across the continent.
Janabi made the call in his message to mark World Polio Day 2026, warning that funding constraints, gaps in vaccination coverage and persistent transmission in high-risk areas threaten progress towards a polio-free Africa.
He stressed that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up free from polio, a preventable disease that can cause irreversible paralysis and impose lifelong physical, emotional and financial burdens on affected individuals and their families.
“As a doctor, I know how much prevention means when there is no cure,” he said, emphasising the importance of protecting children through vaccination and sustained public health interventions.
According to him, the theme of Rotary International’s campaign, “One day, one focus: ending polio for good,” reflects a shared ambition that requires consistent action throughout the year, particularly in communities where children remain unreached by vaccination programmes.
The WHO regional director recalled that the African Region’s certification as free of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020 demonstrated what strong leadership, collective action and sustained public health interventions could achieve.
He also disclosed that independent assessments in 2026 confirmed the closure of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
However, he expressed concern over the detection of poliovirus type 1 in Madagascar following the closure of an earlier outbreak in 2025, describing the development as a reminder that progress could be reversed where vaccination coverage remained inadequate.
Janabi said sustained investment in immunisation, effective disease surveillance, rapid outbreak response and community engagement remained essential to protecting the gains recorded across the continent.
He disclosed that more than 168 million children received at least one dose of polio vaccine between January and September 2026 through 55 vaccination campaign rounds conducted in 22 African countries.
He commended health workers, community leaders and parents for their contributions to the campaigns, noting that their dedication remained central to reaching children in remote and underserved communities.
The regional director further highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation, particularly in areas where population movements and interconnected communities increase the risk of poliovirus transmission.
He cited coordinated vaccination campaigns conducted in March across Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Namibia, which protected more than 10 million children.
According to him, laboratory evidence identifying genetically linked viruses helped guide the joint response, demonstrating the importance of regional collaboration in addressing public health threats that transcend national boundaries.
Despite these achievements, Janabi warned that funding shortages were forcing health authorities to prioritise vaccination campaigns in the highest-risk areas, leaving other vulnerable communities without adequate protection.
He identified the Lake Chad Basin and the DRC as areas of particular concern, noting that persistent transmission continued to pose a major challenge to eradication efforts.
In the DRC, he said, additional vaccination rounds required to respond to the poliovirus type 2 outbreak remained unfunded, threatening progress towards the 2026 eradication targets.
The WHO official cautioned that reaching children once was not sufficient to guarantee lasting protection, stressing that children must receive all recommended vaccine doses through campaigns and dependable routine immunisation services.
He identified insecurity, displacement, geographical barriers and concerns about vaccines as factors that could prevent children from accessing essential immunisation services.
He urged health authorities to bring vaccination services closer to families while engaging communities respectfully, addressing parents’ concerns and building public confidence in immunisation.
On disease surveillance, Janabi highlighted the role of wastewater testing and geospatial technologies in detecting poliovirus and identifying communities that vaccination teams might otherwise overlook.
He said laboratories across the African Region tested more than 100,000 polio samples in 2025, with over 90 per cent analysed within agreed timelines.
He added that the region 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 in 2025.
The accreditation of Nigeria’s Maiduguri laboratory in 2026, he noted, had further strengthened the region’s capacity to detect and investigate poliovirus transmission.
Janabi also pointed to the potential of emerging technologies, including Direct Detection Nanopore Sequencing, to reduce laboratory turnaround times and make critical results available more quickly for outbreak response.
He explained that investments in polio surveillance and response were also strengthening countries’ capacity to manage other public health emergencies, including the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
The regional director welcomed the adoption of the 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 2026.
According to him, the framework provides a pathway for integrating polio-related capacities into national health systems, preserving technical expertise and strengthening routine immunisation and emergency preparedness.
He also acknowledged the contributions of Rotarians to advocacy and community engagement, while expressing appreciation to Canada, the European Investment Bank, the Gates Foundation, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre for supporting eradication efforts.
He extended his appreciation to all partners and donors under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for their continued commitment to protecting children across Africa.
Janabi called on governments to maintain high-level political leadership and increase domestic financing, while urging international partners to provide predictable and sustainable funding for vaccination, surveillance and emergency response.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to working with governments and communities to strengthen immunisation systems, improve surveillance and ensure rapid responses to emerging outbreaks.
“Polio eradication is within reach, but it requires an emergency mindset, swift action, sustained financing, strong accountability and political commitment,” he said.
He stressed that protecting the progress already achieved, strengthening routine immunisation and providing the resources required to complete eradication efforts were critical to securing a polio-free future for every African child.
World Polio Day is observed annually on October 24 to raise awareness of the global effort to eradicate polio and recognise the contributions of health workers, governments, communities and international partners working to protect children from the disease.
