Polio Eradication's Last Mile is the Hardest

In his opening address to the Executive Board, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently noted that no wild poliovirus cases had been reported anywhere since September 2022.

"We are in a much better situation now than we were previously. But the last mile is the hardest."

"There can be no room for complacency. Now is actually the moment to double down on our efforts. So let's continue to push on."

Experts noted the unique window of opportunity to succeed in 2023, the target year for stopping all remaining poliovirus transmission globally. 

The WHO also provided guidance to develop a new vision for the polio transition that will go beyond 2023, supported by tailored regional action plans to drive country progress.

AN updated list of At-Risk Countries was posted.

Following that WHO meeting, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative reported on February 8, 2023, a summary of new polioviruses detections and polio cases this week:

• Afghanistan: two WPV1-positive environmental samples
• Algeria: one cVDPV2 case
• Chad: two cVDPV2 cases
• DRC: eight cVDPV1 cases, 22 cVDPV2 cases and one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
• Mali: one cVDPV2 case
• Nigeria: two cVDPV2-positive environmental samples

To alert international travelers of their potential health risk, the U.S. CDC updated its Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions notice regarding polio outbreaks in 2023.

Other polio outbreak news is posted at Vax-Before-Travel.