The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 43rd Emergency Committee on the international spread of poliovirus, held on October 1, 2025, concluded that the risk of global polio transmission continues to pose a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The committee reviewed updates on wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) from several countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cameroon, and Chad. Despite a drop in WPV1 cases — 28 reported so far in 2025, compared to 99 in 2024 — ongoing transmission in both endemic countries remains a concern.
Pakistan reported 24 WPV1 cases and Afghanistan four, with the virus still detected in environmental samples across multiple provinces. WHO noted operational challenges in reaching children due to insecurity and limited access, especially in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, 143 cVDPV cases have been reported globally in 2025, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, including new outbreaks in Algeria, Djibouti, and Israel.
The committee urged countries to strengthen vaccination campaigns, improve surveillance, and maintain cross-border coordination. It also called for sustained funding for eradication efforts, warning that underfunding threatens global progress.
This was the first Emergency Committee meeting under the amended International Health Regulations, which took effect in September 2025. WHO will maintain its temporary recommendations for affected countries for another three months.