The World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, has emphasized that despite extensive efforts to combat polio, the ongoing spread of Circulating Variant Polio Type 2 is largely driven by insecurity, limited healthcare access, and increased population mobility in certain countries.
In a statement made on Wednesday to mark World Polio Day on October 24, Moeti highlighted the importance of raising awareness and resources for the global initiative to eradicate polio. She noted, however, that the region is closer than ever to achieving a polio-free status.
“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,” she stated.
