Daijiworld Media Network - Geneva
Geneva, Feb 15: The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified another novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), a move aimed at accelerating global efforts to eradicate the disease.
Prequalification certifies that the vaccine meets international standards for quality, safety and efficacy, enabling UN agencies such as UNICEF to procure and distribute it for immunization drives worldwide.
According to the WHO, the nOPV2 vaccine is genetically more stable than older oral polio vaccines, significantly reducing the risk of triggering fresh outbreaks while helping interrupt virus transmission.
The development follows a pledge by global leaders in December to mobilize $1.9 billion to support eradication efforts, with a target of protecting around 370 million children annually despite recent funding constraints.
Polio, a disabling and potentially life-threatening disease, has been eliminated in many regions but continues to circulate in some parts of the world. A new vaccination campaign launched this month in southern Malawi underlines the ongoing global challenge.
Dr Joe Collins Opio, UNICEF’s Malawi chief of health, said the campaign would initially focus on children in eight districts before expanding nationwide, urging communities to actively participate in the response. Malawi’s Deputy Health Minister Charles Chilambula also appealed to the public to support the drive.
Health authorities have warned that eradication efforts have faced setbacks. A recent WHO report recorded 38 cases of wild poliovirus between January and October 2025, all in Pakistan and Afghanistan — the last two countries where the virus remains endemic. Additionally, 151 cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus were reported in 13 countries.
Vaccine-derived cases, which occur when the weakened virus used in oral vaccines mutates and spreads in under-immunized populations, have in recent years outnumbered cases of the wild virus, complicating eradication efforts.
Malawi reported last month that traces of a vaccine-derived Type 2 poliovirus strain were detected in sewage samples in Blantyre, prompting authorities to declare an outbreak under WHO regulations and launch a fresh immunization campaign using the modified vaccine.
The campaign involves administering 1.7 million doses to children in schools and through door-to-door outreach in affected neighborhoods. Officials said the novel oral polio vaccine being deployed is specifically designed to prevent circulating vaccine-derived Type 2 outbreaks.
Chilambula reassured the public that the doses would offer protection against the detected strain, stressing the urgency of vaccination.
Despite the recent setbacks, global health authorities highlight significant progress. Since 1988, wild poliovirus cases have declined by more than 99 per cent, and the number of endemic countries has fallen from 125 to two, largely due to sustained vaccination efforts.
However, the ultimate goal of completely eradicating polio — as achieved with smallpox — remains elusive, with Malawi’s recent detection marking another challenge in the long fight against the disease.