The detection of poliovirus in two children in Syria is a stark reminder that polio remains a threat wherever immunity gaps persist.
Over 34,000 children have already been vaccinated in Deir Ezzor, with another campaign planned.
Syria has stopped polio before. With urgency and determination, we can do it again.
@WHO_Polio @UNICEFpolio @EndPolioNow
Somalia has made important progress in reaching zero-dose children, but continued #polio transmission and measles and diphtheria outbreaks demand urgent action.
The upcoming polio campaigns, alongside targeted efforts to close immunity gaps and strengthen routine immunization, are critical.
Strong government leadership, sustained domestic financing and accountability will be key to protecting every child.
@WHOSom @WHO_Polio
Strong government leadership is essential to protecting #Somalia's children from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
At last week's high-level meeting, H.E. Prime Minister @HamzaAbdiBarre reaffirmed Somalia's commitment to ending polio, reaching zero-dose children and strengthening routine immunization.
WHO and partners stand with Somalia to turn these commitments into action through quality vaccination campaigns, stronger immunization services and accountability at every level.
Every vaccination campaign brings us closer to protecting every child from polio.
Strong government leadership, dedicated frontline health workers and sustained partner support are essential to reaching children who continue to be missed.
@WHO remains fully committed to supporting #Pakistan in ending polio for good. #EndPolio
@WHOEMRO @WHO_Polio
This week, @WHO teams are on the ground supporting the @GovtofPakistan & partners to protect nearly 24 million children from paralytic polio across 97 districts.
Together, we can #EndPolio & secure a healthier future for every child & every family, everywhere.
Thank you @YasirNaqviCDN for highlighting progress to #EndPolio! @WHOEMRO appreciates Canada’s leadership which has been key and remains vital to deliver a polio free world.
During our visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan in July, Prof. Ziad Memish of @KSrelief and I saw firsthand the dedication of frontline health workers and the challenges that remain in reaching every child.
In our joint @ArabNews op-ed, we underscore that vaccines and funding alone will not #EndPolio. We need sustained political leadership to secure access, protect health workers and reach the children still being missed.
@EndPolioNow @KSRelief_EN @WHO_Polio @WHOEMRO
OPINION: Ending #polio is no longer primarily a question of whether we have the tools but whether we can secure access, sustain political commitment, and finance the final effort, write Dr. Ziad Memish and Dr. Jamal Ahmed arab.news/5tya6
Inspired to see #Sudan’s health workers going house to house to protect 11 million children from polio, despite a protracted conflict that has disrupted health services and left children vulnerable.
Sudan has stopped polio outbreaks before. With sustained commitment and collective action, we can stop this outbreak too.
#EndPolio @EndPolioNow
Sudan launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign on 26 October 2026, to protect 11 million children against an ongoing outbreak of variant poliovirus, which started in 2024.
Extraordinary efforts are being made to conduct this campaign.
Health workers are working against all odds – a protracted conflict, famine in some parts of the country, and disrupted health services – to reach every eligible child.
Sudan's health ministry is also synchronizing the campaign with Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan to reach children from families on the move, alongside vaccinators stationed at transit points across Sudan's borders.
@WHO, @UNICEFSudan and GPEI partners remain committed to ending polio in Sudan and the Region, with support from donors and partners.
Read the full press release: emro.who.int/sdn/sudan-news/…
#EndPolio
Pleased to join @WHOEMRO Officer-in-Charge Dr Adham Ismail at today's Rotary Foundation Seminar in Cairo.
As he reminded us, @Rotary has been at the heart of polio eradication from the very beginning.
With wild polio now confined to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Rotary's continued leadership and commitment are more important than ever.
Together, we will #EndPolio! @EndPolioNow
From 350,000 children paralyzed by polio every year in 1988 to just 52 cases of wild polio worldwide.
This extraordinary progress would not have been possible without @Rotary.
“Rotary does not only fund polio eradication. Rotary leads it.”
Speaking at the Rotary Foundation Seminar in Cairo on #WorldPolioDay, @WHOEMRO Officer-in-Charge Dr Adham Ismail paid tribute to Rotary's decades of leadership and called for renewed commitment to finish the job.
With wild polio still circulating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he stressed that the last mile demands a different approach: stronger cross-border coordination, trusted community voices and closer integration with routine immunization.
The goal is clear: no child, anywhere, should ever be paralyzed by polio again.
Together, we can @EndPolioNow.
What a day celebrating #WorldPolioDay with Rotarians in Cairo!
From its extraordinary ancient monuments to its remarkable achievements in public health, #Egypt has shown what generations of determination can accomplish. Egypt eliminated polio over two decades ago. Together, we can achieve the same worldwide.
A huge thank you to @Rotary for its unwavering commitment to ending polio and for the incredible energy and passion at today's @EndPolioNow Carnival!
Together, we can #EndPolio!
On this #WorldPolioDay, let me take a moment to recognize the impact of @mbz_foundation's work. Their contribution goes far beyond funding. They're working hand in hand with us to tackle the specific challenges we face in the most difficult areas. They are assessing with us the last-mile barriers to reaching every child and are driving innovation.
This is what 21st century true public health partnership looks like. This is how we @EndPolioNow in the last remaining reservoirs.
Since 2014, the Emirates Polio Campaign has worked to protect children in Pakistan from polio, delivering over 850 million vaccine doses to some of the country’s hardest-to-reach communities.
But ending polio takes more than vaccines. It needs health workers willing to listen to families, earn trust, and find new ways to reach every child.
On #WorldPolioDay, we celebrate the health workers whose dedication is helping bring us closer to a world free from polio. We are proud to support their work.
Last week, the Polio Oversight Board approved the 2027 operating budget, prioritising efforts to stop poliovirus transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan and sustain critical outbreak response.
We have the tools, expertise and experience to end polio. Sustained financing and strong country leadership are essential to turn those capabilities into a polio-free world.
Across @WHOEMRO, Member States are strengthening preparedness and response and providing financial support to Afghanistan and Pakistan. This regional commitment must be matched by sustained global support to reach children still being missed and stop polio transmission.
Together, we stand #UnitedToEndPolio
polioeradication.org/news/st…
Strong and sustained health leadership from the #UnitedArabEmirates has been instrumental in our work to eradicate polio.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, and during Gaza’s emergency response, the UAE’s support has helped protect millions of children from polio. Across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, this solidarity is bringing us closer to a #polio-free future.
wam.ae/a/c2rsyzz
@mohapuae @mbz_foundation
Great interview with Madam Ayesha Raza Farooq @AyeshaRaza13 on Pakistan’s progress towards ending polio.
Strong political leadership, data-driven strategies and closer collaboration with Afghanistan are critical to reaching every last child.
We must sustain this momentum and finish the job.
youtube.com/watch?v=5w8Sf0ID…
@PakFightsPolio @WHO_Polio
At #EMRC73, I was encouraged by the strong commitment of Member States to finishing the job of polio eradication.
We know where the challenges remain. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we must intensify efforts to reach children who continue to be missed, improve campaign quality and strengthen cross-border cooperation. Across the Region, we must also remain vigilant against variant poliovirus outbreaks.
I am particularly grateful to Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their continued political, technical and financial support. Their leadership and engagement are helping us overcome barriers and reach communities that have been difficult to access.
As I reminded colleagues today, nobody is done until we are all done. Sustained political will, strong surveillance and continued investment in frontline health workers will be essential.
The @WHOEMRO Region holds the key to global polio eradication. With our collective determination, we can – and we will – finish the job. #EndPolio
For much of the world, polio is a disease of the past. But children are still being paralysed, and families still live with the fear of this disease. We must change that.
At today's #WorldHealthSummit, I highlighted how the Global Polio Eradication Initiative combines global partnership with practical, locally focused action, targeting resources where they are most needed, learning and adapting in real time.
Integration is an important part of this journey, but we must get the balance right: using polio assets to strengthen broader health services without overburdening frontline workers or losing sight of eradication.
With sustained political commitment and resources, we can make polio a disease of the past for every child, everywhere.
#EndPolio #WHS2026
@DollyParton was an island of hope, a voice of joy, kindness and generosity in a stormy world.
@DollyParton did more than sing about love. She loved live. She lived love. She lived it by giving back, lifting others and using her gifts in service of humanity.
She cared. She gave. She did it all with a lovely smile.
May she sing with the angels now, with the joy of a life beautifully lived.
She will always and forever remained loved.
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I recently joined the @TDRnews #GlobalHealthMatters podcast to discuss what it takes to #EndPolio, and why the final mile demands even greater resolve.
Reaching zero polio is about equity. Every child matters. Every community is important. Every village must be reached.
Our goal is clear. The challenges are real, but our conviction remains steadfast. We remain determined to keep finding solutions whenever and wherever the challenges are complex.
We are working with communities and local leaders to reach every child. We are walking every step of the way with @Rotary and Rotarians everywhere. We have come extraordinarily far. Now is the time to sustain our collective commitment and finish the job for every child, everywhere.
Listen to "Leading to zero": tinyurl.com/GHM-E73
@EndPolioNow
What a wonderful news.
As we celebrate our champion... it is also a reminder of the beautiful legacy of the public health workforce of India with the support of @EndPolioNow.
India has been polio-free for more than a decade. May there be many more years of zero polio in India. May every child born in India grow up a country that is free of the fear of paralytic polio.
At 33, polio survivor Sharmila Dhankar began competing in para athletics.
At 40, she became a gold medalist. 🥇
Her story is an incredible reminder of what determination can achieve - and why we continue working to #EndPolio.
👉 Read her story: endpol.io/3UacN7K
Warm welcome to @karamagih as you begin your service in Somalia with @WHOSom.
From @WHOSouthSudan to Somalia, from one East African country to another, your continued commitment to Africa and Africans especially in areas where WHO support is needed most is deeply appreciated.
I look forward to working together with you for the better health of the Somali people and the people of East Africa.
Welcome
A warm welcome and an opportunity to connect.
@WHOSom staff today met with the new WHO Representative, Dr. Humphrey Karamagi,@karamagih for introductions, an exchange, and a discussion on the work of the WHO team in Somalia.
Health workers, @MoH_Somalia, @WHOSom @unicefsomalia and partners concluded a polio vaccination campaign in three high-risk districts in Banadir Region—Daynile, Garasbaley and Kahda—at the end of last week, reaching 122 000+ children aged under five years (94% of the target).
By linking vaccination teams with health facilities, we strengthened planning, accountability and our ability to reach children who have been missed before.
This is the power of partnership—and the collective resolve we need to #EndPolio in Somalia.
Read for additional information:
emro.who.int/somalia/news/so…
As countries across the Eastern Mediterranean Region confront complex polio outbreaks, progress is being achieved through resilience, partnership and sustained commitment.
The recently published WHO UNICEF situation report for polio outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region highlights why continued domestic investment, donor support and cross-border collaboration are essential to #endpolio outbreaks by 2027.
Read the full report:
emro.who.int/polio-eradicati…
