The World Health Organization, WHO, has warned that funding shortages and gaps in vaccination coverage are threatening efforts to eradicate polio in Africa, despite millions of children receiving vaccines across the continent.

The warning was given by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, in his message marking World Polio Day 2026.

Janabi said the African Region’s certification as free from indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020 was a testament to effective political leadership and collaborative efforts, citing independent assessments confirming the closure of type 2 poliovirus outbreaks in countries such as Burundi, Ghana and Uganda this year.

He however pointed to a recent detection of poliovirus type 1 in Madagascar, following the resolution of a previous outbreak in 2025, as evidence of ongoing risks linked to insufficient vaccination coverage.

According to the WHO Regional Director, over 168 million children received at least one dose of the polio vaccine between January and September 2026, facilitated by 55 campaigns across 22 African nations.

“Every child should have the chance to grow up free from polio. Yet a disease we can prevent still causes irreversible paralysis, altering lives and placing lasting burdens on families,” Janabi stated.

Janabi noted that funding constraints are forcing difficult choices, with campaigns increasingly prioritizing the highest-risk areas and leaving other vulnerable communities without sufficient protection. He said the constraints are especially concerning in the Lake Chad Basin and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where transmission remains a major challenge.

In the DRC, he said additional vaccination rounds needed to respond to the type 2 outbreak are still unfunded, threatening progress towards the 2026 eradication goals.

The WHO Regional Director emphasized the need for increased domestic investment from governments and more predictable financial support from development partners for vaccination campaigns.

He commended joint vaccination initiatives in March that reached more than 10 million children across Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Namibia, and noted that health workers, community leaders and parents have been vital in sustaining the gains.

Janabi stressed that reaching every child once is insufficient, as children need all recommended doses supported by dependable routine immunization services, strengthened surveillance including wastewater testing, and coordinated cross-border action to consign polio to history.