Malawi declares first case of polio in Africa in five years

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says health authorities in Malawi have declared an outbreak of wild poliovirus type one after a case was detected in a young child in the capital, Lilongwe.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours. The virus is transmitted from person-to-person mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food, and multiplies in the intestine.

While there is no cure for polio, the disease can be prevented through administration of a simple and effective vaccine.

This is the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa since the continent was declared free of indigenous wild polio in August 2020 after eliminating all forms of wild polio .

In a statement on Thursday, WHO said laboratory analysis shows that the strain detected in Malawi is linked to the one that has been circulating in Sindh Province in Pakistan which remains polio endemic.

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said as long as wild polio exists anywhere in the world all countries remain at risk of importation of the virus.

“Following the detection of wild polio in Malawi, we’re taking urgent measures to forestall its potential spread. Thanks to a high level of polio surveillance in the continent and the capacity to quickly detect the virus, we can swiftly launch a rapid response and protect children from the debilitating impact of this disease,” she said.

The organisation said it is supporting the Malawi health authorities to carry out a risk assessment and outbreak response, including supplemental immunisation.

“The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Rapid Response Team which is based at the WHO Regional Office in Africa is deploying a team to Malawi to support coordination, surveillance, data management, communications, and operations. Partners organizations will also send teams to support emergency operations and innovative vaccination campaign solutions,” the statement reads.

“As an imported case from Pakistan, this detection does not affect the African region’s wild poliovirus-free certification status.”