Ghana today joins the global community in commemorating World Polio Day 2026, an important occasion to raise awareness about polio and the ongoing global efforts to eradicate this preventable disease. Under the theme “One Day, One Focus: Ending Polio for Good,” this year’s celebration emphasises community engagement and the importance of vaccination for every child.
The country has made significant progress in the fight against polio through routine immunisation, supplementary campaigns, outbreak response and strong community mobilisation. These strategies have ensured the absence of endemic polio cases in the country. Yet, as the global health community reminds us, a polio case anywhere is a polio case everywhere. Continued vigilance through active surveillance and collaboration with partners remains essential to achieve global eradication.
The Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, working in collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, GAVI, Rotary International and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, successfully closed its type 2 poliovirus outbreak in August 2026.
This milestone, confirmed through rigorous Outbreak Response Assessments, demonstrates Ghana’s strong surveillance, immunisation and rapid response systems. Ghana’s achievement places it alongside Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Congo and Uganda, five African countries that collectively closed their type 2 poliovirus outbreaks in August 2026.
Ghana’s success reflects years of investment in routine immunisation and swift outbreak responses. Since introducing the Inactivated Polio Vaccine in 2018 and a second dose in 2024, Ghana has consistently maintained immunisation coverage levels above 95 percent, ensuring children across the country are protected against paralysis caused by polioviruses.
World Polio Day serves as a platform to encourage collective action and reinforce our shared commitment to safeguarding the health of future generations. On this occasion, the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service call on all Ghanaians to support this cause by ensuring that every eligible child is vaccinated. Polio is a deadly disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, but it is entirely preventable through vaccination. Together, we can protect our children and secure a polio-free future for Ghana.
The Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service reaffirm their commitment to a polio-free Ghana and a healthier future for all children and call on all to unite to end polio for good.
The statement was signed by Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service.
