Patience Makwele
The Ministry of Health has announced that Namibia has successfully interrupted the transmission of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), following an aggressive nationwide vaccination campaign that reached more than 90% of targeted children and received more than N$76.5 million in financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health authorities revealed on Monday that no circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected since 4 March 2026, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against the disease after the virus was first detected in environmental surveillance samples collected in Rundu in November last year.
Speaking at the opening of the Polio Outbreak Response Vaccination Campaign Evaluation Meeting in Windhoek, WHO Country Representative Dr Richard Banda described Namibia’s response as a public health success achieved through rapid action and strong collaboration.
“I still recall Friday the 13th of November 2025 when Namibia received confirmation of poliovirus type 2 from environmental surveillance sampling in Rundu. Since then, so much has happened. You responded with urgency,” Banda said.
He said despite Namibia not having conducted a national polio vaccination campaign since 2013, health workers quickly overcame institutional knowledge gaps to mount an effective response.
“The results speak for themselves. More than 90% vaccination coverage was achieved, with progressive improvements in campaign quality across every round,” he said.
Banda credited healthcare workers for conducting extensive training, household vaccinations, community mobilisation, surveillance and risk communication, describing them as “the heroes and heroines” behind the country’s successful response.
Environmental surveillance now detects only vaccine strains at all surveillance sites, indicating that transmission of the outbreak virus has been interrupted.
The WHO committed US$4.64 million (about N$76.6 million) towards Namibia’s outbreak response, including the deployment of surge personnel and technical support.
Deputy minister of health and social services Susan Ndjaleka said the outbreak highlighted Namibia’s vulnerability despite nearly two decades without a major polio incident.
Namibia’s last outbreak of wild poliovirus occurred in 2006, while the country confirmed its first detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 on 13 November 2025 through routine environmental surveillance in Rundu.
Genetic sequencing later linked the virus to an outbreak in neighbouring Angola, underscoring the need for stronger cross-border disease surveillance.
A total of seven positive environmental samples were detected, two in Rundu, two in Gobabis and three in Windhoek.
Following confirmation of the outbreak, the ministry activated its national incident management system and rolled out a comprehensive vaccination response, including a targeted campaign in Kavango East and West, three nationwide vaccination rounds and additional immunisation days in Khomas and Omaheke regions.
Ndjaleka said the campaigns targeted every child under the age of 10 to rapidly boost immunity and halt transmission.
However, she cautioned that the country cannot afford complacency.
“As long as poliovirus continues to circulate anywhere in the world, every country remains at risk,” she said.
She urged health officials to use the evaluation meeting to identify weaknesses in vaccination coverage, surveillance, logistics, data quality and community engagement, particularly to understand why some eligible children were missed during the campaigns.
Banda echoed the warning, saying Namibia must now shift its focus to strengthening routine immunisation, surveillance and catch-up vaccination campaigns to prevent future outbreaks.
“The risks are not yet over,” he said. “As long as the virus exists anywhere, it can spread everywhere.”
Health authorities say the lessons from the outbreak response will now be used to strengthen Namibia’s preparedness for future public health emergencies and maintain the country’s polio-free status.
