Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire has taken a crucial  step in the efforts to protect children from the debilitating effects of poliovirus with the launch of an upgraded laboratory to enhance detection and timely response to end the circulation of the virus.

The new facility, located at  Institut Pasteur of Cote d’Ivoire, will help speed up turnaround time of analyses of environmental surveillance and Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) samples, leading to more effective public health interventions.

“This laboratory is a critical addition to our public health system,” said Dr Pierre N’gou Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage. “It strengthens our ability to stay ahead of the virus and protect our children.” 

The upgrade project has significantly enhanced the lab's infrastructure and capabilities, including the introduction of new technologies such as Direct Detection through MinION poliovirus sequencing — a portable tool that allows scientists to rapidly read the virus’s genetic code without the need to send samples abroad.

“Previously, the country relied on sending virus isolates (sewage samples in which the poliovirus had been separated and grown for analysis) to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa, which was not ideal for timely detection and rapid response. “Effective and robust detection is core component of polio eradication efforts. The renovation of this modern laboratory is a major boost to our collective drive to halt polio transmission, protect children and draw us closer to achieving a polio-free world,” said Dr Lucien Manga, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Cote d’Ivoire.

By 2026, Côte d’Ivoire will become one of the countries in the African Region with full laboratory capacity for Poliovirus detection.

WHO, with support from the Gates Foundation and in collaboration with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, led the refurbishment of the laboratory. This included providing modern equipment, upgrading information systems, and training staff to use the latest technologies. In addition, WHO worked with national authorities to optimize environmental surveillance sites,  ensuring that the samples collected from sewage and wastewater better reflect where the virus may be circulating, so that outbreaks can be detected and stopped more quickly. 

In 2024, Cote d’Ivoire recorded 31 circulating variant polio type 2 detections. So far, this year, two cases of variant type 2 poliovirus were detected and responded swiftly. Nearly 10 million children were vaccinated in a vaccination campaign in February 2025 113 districts using the novel oral polio vaccine type 2.

The laboratory will also enhance implementation of integrated surveillance strategies and strengthen overall disease surveillance and response in line with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

“This facility is an invaluable asset,” said Dr Manga. “It puts Cote d’Ivoire in the frontline of the fight against polio in West Africa and enhances the region’s capacity to detect the virus early and interrupt transmission faster than ever before.