Ministers of Health from Djibouti, Somalia, and South Sudan, senior government representatives from Ethiopia and Kenya, and the Director-General of Family Health from the northern governorates of Yemen met virtually on 6 October 2025 to strengthen efforts to stop poliovirus transmission in one of the world’s most complex regions.

The meeting, co-hosted by Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, underscored that the co-circulation of variant poliovirus types 1 and 2 across the Horn of Africa and Yemen represents a cross-regional public health emergency.

Extraordinary efforts needed to stop polio

Despite insecurity, inaccessibility, operational barriers and climate-related disruptions, which spur regular population movement in the subregion — affected countries have mounted coordinated responses to poliovirus detections. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, countries in the Horn of Africa reached over 18 million children with polio vaccines. Surveillance has been strengthened and immunity gaps mapped. However, stopping polio transmission will require urgent, high-quality, and closely coordinated cross-border action.