The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, has warned that funding shortages and gaps in vaccination coverage threaten efforts to eradicate polio across the continent, despite progress in outbreak control and immunisation campaigns.
In his message to mark World Polio Day 2026, Janabi called on African governments to sustain political commitment and domestic investment in polio eradication, while urging international partners to provide predictable funding to protect children and prevent further outbreaks.
“Every child should have the chance to grow up free from polio. Yet a disease we can prevent still causes irreversible paralysis, changing children’s lives and placing lasting demands on their families. As a doctor, I know how much prevention means when there is no cure,” he said.
Janabi said this year’s commemoration was an opportunity to renew commitments to protecting children, noting that the campaign message of Rotary International, “One day, one focus: ending polio for good”, reflects a shared ambition that requires sustained action throughout the year.
Africa Records Progress in Polio Outbreak Control
The WHO regional director noted that the African Region’s certification as free of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020 demonstrated what strong leadership and collective action 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 warned that the detection of poliovirus type 1 in Madagascar, following the closure of an earlier outbreak in 2025, showed how quickly progress could be threatened when vaccination gaps persist.
“Sustaining progress demands continued investment in vaccination, strong surveillance, effective outbreak response and community engagement,” Janabi said.
According to him, countries across the region have continued to intensify vaccination campaigns. Between January and September 2026, more than 168 million children received at least one dose of polio vaccine through 55 campaign rounds in 22 countries.
He acknowledged the efforts of health workers travelling long distances, community leaders building public confidence in vaccination and parents bringing their children forward for protection.
“I thank them for their commitment,” he said.
Cross-Border Campaigns Protect Millions of Children
Janabi highlighted cooperation among neighbouring countries as an important strategy for reaching children who move across borders and may otherwise be missed by vaccination teams.
He said coordinated campaigns conducted in March across Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Namibia vaccinated more than 10 million children.
Laboratory evidence identifying genetically linked viruses helped guide the joint response, demonstrating the importance of information-sharing and coordination among countries in tackling the disease.
Despite these efforts, the WHO regional director warned that funding constraints were forcing countries to make difficult choices, with vaccination campaigns increasingly prioritising high-risk areas while leaving other vulnerable communities without sufficient protection.
He identified the Lake Chad Basin and the DRC as areas of particular concern because poliovirus transmission remains a major challenge.
In the DRC, he said, additional vaccination rounds required to respond to the type 2 outbreak remained unfunded, threatening progress towards the 2026 eradication targets.
WHO Warns Against Gaps in Routine Immunisation
Janabi stressed that reaching children once was not enough to protect them fully against polio, adding that children must receive all recommended vaccine doses through dependable routine immunisation services.
He explained that conflict and displacement could interrupt access to vaccination, while long distances and concerns about vaccines created further barriers for families.
“Bringing services closer to families must go hand in hand with listening to parents and answering their questions respectfully,” he said.
He noted that stronger surveillance systems were also essential for identifying outbreaks early and directing interventions to communities most at risk.
According to Janabi, wastewater testing can detect poliovirus before cases of paralysis are reported, while geospatial tools help vaccination teams identify communities that have been missed.
In 2025, laboratories across the WHO African Region tested more than 100,000 polio samples, with over 90 per cent analysed within agreed timelines.
He added that sequencing capacity had expanded from two to four laboratories, improving the timeliness of sequencing results from below 50 per cent to nearly 70 per cent in 2025.
Nigeria’s Maiduguri Laboratory Strengthens Regional Capacity
The WHO regional director also highlighted the accreditation of Nigeria’s Maiduguri laboratory this year as an important step in strengthening Africa’s capacity to detect and respond to poliovirus.
He said new technologies being piloted, including Direct Detection Nanopore Sequencing, had demonstrated the potential to substantially reduce laboratory turnaround times and make critical results available more quickly for outbreak response.
Janabi noted that investments in polio surveillance and laboratory systems also support countries in responding to other public health emergencies, including the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
He further pointed to the Regional Framework for Polio Transition and Sustainability in the WHO African Region 2026–2035, adopted by health ministers during the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in August.
The framework supports the integration of polio expertise and capacities into national health systems to preserve gains made in eradication efforts while strengthening routine immunisation and emergency preparedness.
WHO Recognises Partners, Calls for Sustained Funding
Janabi acknowledged the contribution of Rotarians to advocacy and community engagement, as well as the support of international partners and donors working towards polio eradication.
He specifically thanked Canada, the European Investment Bank, the Gates Foundation, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, alongside other Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners and donors.
As part of the World Polio Day commemoration, he called on governments to maintain political leadership and increase domestic investment, while urging partners to ensure predictable financing for vaccination, surveillance and rapid response.
“WHO will work alongside countries and communities to strengthen vaccination, surveillance and rapid response,” he said.
Janabi maintained that polio eradication remained achievable but required urgent and sustained action.
“Polio eradication is within reach, but it requires an emergency mindset, swift action, sustained financing, strong accountability and political commitment. We must protect our progress, strengthen routine immunization and ensure the resources needed to finish the job and secure a polio-free Africa for every child.”
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