Publications

In the second quarter of 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region has seen significant strides in the fight against polio, with a focus on regional collaboration, innovative vaccination efforts, and health system strengthening. From landmark cross-border initiatives to critical country-level milestones, these efforts are shaping a future free of polio for millions of children across Africa. 

161 million children were vaccinated from April to June. Across the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, countries are synchronizing immunization campaigns to tackle polio in one of Africa’s most challenging regions. Similarly, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia vaccinated over 18 million children in a synchronized effort in April, 2025, highlighting successful regional cooperation.

Madagascar also marked a major milestone this quarter with the official declaration of the closure of the circulating variant type 1 polio outbreak in May. Following a comprehensive Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA), the country successfully halted transmission of the virus, demonstrating the effectiveness of robust response strategies that included extensive vaccination rounds and enhanced surveillance. 

In Benin, in June, a nationwide vaccination campaign successfully reached nearly 2.5 million children, aided by innovative tools such as Digital Finance (DF) to improve the efficiency of payments and outreach efforts. The campaign even extended to remote areas, showcasing Benin’s resilience and determination in its response to the threat of polio. 

Meanwhile, Malawi is strengthening its healthcare infrastructure with investments in cold chain improvements, workforce training, and community engagement—ensuring that its health systems are ready to prevent future outbreaks.

Feel free to download both, the leaflet and the scorecard below for more key indicators concerning outbreak response, surveillance and polio transition activities in the African Region.