Five African nations end poliovirus type 2 outbreaks

Five African nations—Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Congo, and Uganda—have successfully interrupted the transmission of poliovirus type 2. The announcement follows technical assessments conducted by the Independent Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA) teams between January and June 2026.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa confirmed the closure of these outbreaks after reviewing epidemiological data, laboratory results, and disease surveillance performance. Officials noted that the achievement resulted from strong national leadership, dedicated health workers, and effective vaccination campaigns.

Despite this milestone, health authorities warned against complacency. The risk of poliovirus reimportation remains a concern, citing recent detections in Madagascar as a reason to maintain high immunization coverage and rigorous surveillance to prevent future outbreaks.