Lara Adejoro The World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, has said that despite significant efforts, the continued spread of Circulating Variant Polio Type 2 is primarily fuelled by insecurity, restricted healthcare access, and heightened population mobility in specific countries across the region. Moeti made this statement in her message on Wednesday, for the 2024 World Polio Day, commemorated on October 24, to raise awareness and resources for the global effort to eradicate polio. She, however, noted that the region is closer than ever to achieving a polio-free Africa.
“This year, our region has reached significant milestones, including the notable success of Madagascar, which has now gone a full year without detecting Circulating Variant Poliovirus Type 1. In Southern Africa, we marked the closure of the imported Wild Poliovirus Type 1 outbreak that was declared in 2022. “The swift and coordinated efforts of Malawi, Mozambique, and neighbouring countries—Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—also inspire optimism.
These achievements highlight the strength of joint action, the resilience of our communities, and the unwavering dedication of frontline health workers. “Data equally bear out these results. Comparing data from 2023 and 2024 (as of 31 August for each year), detections of cVDPV1 have decreased by 96 per cent, while detections of cVDPV2 have dropped by 65 per cent in the African Region.
“It is important to recognise that.
