The outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 reported in Malawi and Mozambique in 2022 has been declared closed, with no evidence of ongoing transmission. After a thorough evaluation, an independent Polio Outbreak Response Assessment Team has concluded that there is no evidence of ongoing wild polio transmission there. The last WPV1 case in the African Region, linked to a strain circulating in Pakistan, was reported in Mozambique´s Tete Province in August or 2022. A total of nine cases were detected in Mozambique and neighboring Malawi, where the outbreak was declared in February of 2022.

Both countries have effectively controlled the spread of the virus through robust surveillance, vaccination campaigns covering more than 50 million children, and enhanced community engagement. Click here to read a news release from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

The 2022 notification of imported wild poliovirus did not alter the certification of the African region as free of indigenous wild polio in August 2020, as the strain that was confirmed in southern Africa was imported.