Africa now free of polio - 7th September 2020

Africa is declared free from wild polio.

Polio is a contagious disease that usually affects children under 5. It attacks the nervous system and can paralyse children. 10 per cent of children with polio die because the disease paralyses their breathing muscles. The disease can spread from person to person, often through dirty water. There is no cure but there is an oral vaccine, which was developed in 1961. One dose protects children for life.

In 1996, more than 75,000 children were paralysed by polio in Africa. That year, South African President Nelson Mandela launched the "Kick polio out of Africa" campaign. Millions of health workers travelled to every village in Africa to deliver vaccines.

Rumours and misinformation, which made people suspicious about the vaccine, slowed the programme's progress. Part of the programme was educating parents so that they would allow their children to receive the vaccine. In some communities, it took decades before people trusted vaccination and polio was completely eliminated.

Nigeria was the last African country to be declared free of polio. Health workers had to reach remote and dangerous areas which were under threat from militant fighting. Some health workers were murdered for delivering the vaccine.

Now, the Africa Regional Certification Commission, an independent organisation, has declared Africa free from wild polio. This is a big step towards eliminating polio from the world. More than 95% of Africa's population have received the vaccine. Now, wild polio is only present in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The World Health Organisation warns that polio could easily return to Africa if the vaccination programme fails. Countries must carefully monitor for polio until wild polio has been eliminated from every country in the world.