Lagos, July 4, 2025 – National surveillance laboratories are set to provide crucial support to Africa in the final fight against polio, emphasizes Chikwe Ihekweazu, outgoing interim WHO Regional Director for Africa, in a contribution to SciDev.Net.
“More than ever, Africa’s voice in global health must be bold, informed, and forward-looking,” Ihekweazu explains. Despite significant progress, polio remains a threat: in 2025, 32 cases were reported in Nigeria, a key frontline, across ten states, primarily in the north. Viruses from Nigeria have also crossed borders, reaching neighboring countries and parts of the EU. “As long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere,” he warns.
Conflicts, overburdened health systems, and mistrust fueled by misinformation complicate access to vaccinations. Nevertheless, Ihekweazu sees hope in the “everyday heroes”: vaccination teams working under the most difficult conditions, community mobilizers building trust, and government representatives leading with determination. New plans from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative prioritize cross-border coordination in crisis areas such as the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa.
Africa’s certification as free of wild poliovirus in 2020 and the recent success against an outbreak in Madagascar show what is possible. New national laboratories are intended to strengthen surveillance and improve responsiveness to health threats. “Every unvaccinated child is a risk to the world,” Ihekweazu urges, calling for stronger health systems and regional solidarity.
With thanks to the thousands of helpers, Ihekweazu hands over responsibility: “The path to a polio-free world is clear. We must walk it together.”
Source: SciDev.Net, 07/04/2025
