WHO Confirms End of Polio Type 2 Outbreaks in Five African Countries

Key facts

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa confirmed the closure of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
• Independent Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA) teams conducted assessments between January and June 2026, concluding that transmission had been interrupted in all five countries.
• The Republic of Congo reported its last poliovirus detection in December 2023, while Burundi declared its outbreak in March 2023 and Uganda detected the virus in May 2024.
• Guinea-Bissau has reported no poliovirus detections since July 2021, and the closures were attributed to strong surveillance, community engagement, and targeted vaccination campaigns.
• The WHO cautioned that the risk of reimportation remains, citing a recent detection in Madagascar after its previous outbreak closure.