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New delhi, March 27, 2024 – Fifteen years have passed as the last documented case of wild poliovirus in the WHO South-East Asia Region, a remarkable achievement for a region encompassing a quarter of the world’s population. The area continues to maintain its polio-free status,and is now leveraging the hard-won lessons from that fight to tackle other public health challenges.
A Legacy of Eradication: Polio-Free Region Drives Broader Health Gains
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A region onc plagued by polio is now a model for public health progress, demonstrating the power of sustained commitment and innovation.
- The WHO South-East Asia Region has remained polio-free for 15 years, with the last case recorded in India in 2011.
- Surveillance systems, including stool sample analysis and environmental monitoring, continue to exceed global standards.
- The infrastructure and expertise developed during polio eradication are now being applied to combat other diseases like measles, rubella, and tetanus.
- High immunization coverage, even during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, has been crucial to maintaining progress.
What does it take to eliminate a devastating disease like polio? According to Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-east Asia Region, it requires “unwavering government leadership, a dedicated health workforce, and strong partnerships, including with communities.”
Lasting Vigilance and Expanded Surveillance
The journey to polio eradication in the region wasn’t without its challenges. on March 27,2014,the WHO certified the South-East Asia region as polio-free,three years after an 18-month-old girl in Howrah,West Bengal,India,was paralyzed by the virus on this date in 2011. The swift and thorough response to that case proved pivotal.
Today, the region maintains a vigilant watch against potential re-emergence through robust surveillance. In 2025, over 50,000 stool samples were collected and analyzed by a network of 13 WHO-accredited laboratories. This surveillance consistently surpasses the requirements for maintaining polio-free certification.
Immunization Successes and beyond
Strong immunization coverage remains a cornerstone of the region’s success.Annual estimates from WHO/UNICEF indicate that coverage with bivalent oral polio vaccine and at least one dose of inactivated polio vaccine has consistently exceeded 90% for many years. This commitment to vaccination has been sustained even during humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Self-reliant oversight is provided by the South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication (SEA-RCCPE), which annually reviews