25 Years Polio-Free: Western Pacific Countries Renew Commitment to Polio Eradication

Leaders from across the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region gathered this week in Tokyo to celebrate a major milestone − 25 years since the Region was certified polio-free. The anniversary coincided with the 31st meeting of the Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Western Pacific (RCC) − the independent body that verifies the Region's continued freedom from poliovirus transmission.

Hosted by the Government of Japan and supported by the Japan Institute for Health Security, the meeting brought together the chairs of national certification committees for poliomyelitis eradication, global experts and partners including the United Nations Children's Fund, Rotary International, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Gates Foundation. Together, they reaffirmed that maintaining a polio-free region requires constant vigilance, sustained financing and unwavering political commitment.

_{Dr Huong Thi Giang Tran, Director of Programmes for Disease Control at WHO Western Pacific, delivers remarks during the 31st RCC meeting. © WHO / Jicwels - Naofumi Owada}

A legacy of leadership

When the Western Pacific Region was certified polio-free in 2000, it set the benchmark for what could be achieved through partnership, science and community engagement.

Since then, the Region's surveillance and immunization strategies have become global standards for other regions still battling the disease. However, recent outbreaks in Papua New Guinea and the closed outbreak in Indonesia remind the world that viruses do not respect borders.

At the RCC meeting, experts assessed each country's progress and outlined the actions needed to maintain high population immunity, strengthen surveillance, ensure rapid response capacity and reinforce public health measures at ports of entry to detect and prevent cross-border transmission of poliovirus.

_{The National Department of Health and provincial health authorities of Papua New Guinea, supported by WHO and partners, implement a national polio vaccination campaign to protect every child from the devastating effects of the disease. © WHO / Papua New Guinea}

The human face of the fight

While celebrating 25 years of the Region being polio-free, participants at the same time warned of the risks posed by declining global development assistance, competing health priorities and pandemic-related fatigue resulting in weakened vigilance. They called for renewed domestic investment and continued support from partners to safeguard the gains achieved and close remaining gaps.

Among those addressing the gathering was Dr Nimfa Putong, a physician and polio survivor from the Philippines, whose message resonated deeply with participants.

"I know what it means to live with polio," she said. "Our region proved that dedication, compassion and teamwork can make the impossible possible. But our work is not over − until every child, everywhere, is protected, we cannot rest."

Her testimony underscored the human cost of complacency − and the moral imperative to continue working towards polio eradication.

A shared responsibility

During the meeting, Rotary International and other civil society partners were also recognized for their decades-long commitment to the cause. Their advocacy, alongside governments and donors, remains vital to ensuring that immunization reaches every community − from remote islands to urban slums.

As the global eradication effort moves closer to its final goal of a world free from polio, the Western Pacific's experience serves as both a source of inspiration and a reminder: until the virus is eradicated everywhere, no region is truly safe.