The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm over a significant increase in polio cases in Africa.
According to the organization, 134 new cases of polio have been recorded in at least seven countries in the region.
The circulating variant polio type 2 has been detected in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
In 2024 alone, as of September 5, 134 cases of polio type 2 were confirmed.
Despite significant progress in polio eradication in southern Africa, with no cases reported in South Africa since 2022, the resurgence in other regions remains a major concern.
The WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, has urged countries to intensify their efforts to eliminate polio from the continent.
World Polio Day, celebrated annually on October 24, serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight against this debilitating disease.
The WHO calls for increased action and global solidarity to eradicate polio once and for all.
