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Challenges Threaten Africa’s Final Push to End Polio
Despite historic progress that saw 200 million children vaccinated in 2025, Africa’s fight to end polio faces growing challenges that could slow the continent’s final steps toward eradication. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that unless these gaps are addressed, the disease could resurface in vulnerable areas.
Between January and October 2025, 15 African countries conducted mass immunization campaigns, 13 of them in synchronized rounds across borders reaching children in hard to access regions. Collaboration in the Horn of Africa enabled Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia to vaccinate over 18 million children, while the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel campaign reached 83 million more.
WHO reports that despite these achievements, several challenges persist.
Declining routine immunization coverage in some countries leaves children unprotected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Insecurity and population displacement continue to hinder vaccination in conflict-affected and border regions. Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation have also reduced uptake in certain communities, while funding gaps threaten to slow surveillance and response operations.
Still, progress remains 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%. In May 2025, Madagascar declared the end of its variant poliovirus type 1 outbreak after sustained response and monitoring.
To overcome ongoing challenges, WHO and partners are investing in digital innovation and surveillance. By mid-2025, 98% of African countries were monitoring wastewater for polioviruses, providing early warnings.
Over 850,000 frontline workers now receive mobile-money payments, with 95% paid within 10 days of campaign completion. The WHO AFRO GIS Centre has also used geospatial mapping to identify missed children in nomadic and border communities.
This progress and renewed commitment were celebrated on World Polio Day 2025 under the theme “End Polio: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere.” WHO and African governments reaffirmed their joint resolve to protect every child and sustain systems that can detect and stop outbreaks quickly.
While the last mile remains the hardest, Africa’s determination and innovation show that ending polio on the continent is within reach and that no child should be left behind.
