End of Polio outbreak in 5 African countries

Why in News?

The WHO Regional Office for Africa confirmed the end of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in 5 African countries after independent outbreak assessments conducted recently.

• Countries – Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Congo, Uganda
• Basis for Outbreak Closure –
  • The assessment examined
  • Disease surveillance
  • Laboratory and epidemiological evidence
  • Population immunity
  • Vaccination campaign performance
• Country-Specific Examples
  • Burundi – Strengthened routine immunisation, investigations and environmental surveillance.
  • Uganda – Improved disease surveillance and outbreak response after detection in 2024.
  • Ghana – Strengthened laboratory capacity and disease surveillance.
  • Guinea-Bissau – Focused on underserved communities; no poliovirus detected since July 2021.
  • Republic of Congo – Strengthened surveillance and vaccination; last detection was in December 2023.
• Risk concerns –
• Ending an outbreak does not mean that the threat of polio has disappeared.
• Countries bordering areas where poliovirus continues to circulate remain vulnerable.
• Continued high vaccination coverage and strong surveillance are essential to prevent re-emergence.

Polio

• Polio is a highly infectious viral disease.
• It can cause irreversible paralysis.
• It is preventable through vaccination.
• Strong surveillance, immunisation and rapid outbreak response are key to stopping transmission.

Reference

End of Polio outbreak - Five African countries