Indonesia has been declared free of polio outbreak by the World Health Organization. The country has remained largely polio-free as the disease was prompted again in 2022 due to a dangerous combination of consistently low routine immunisation and unhealthy environmental conditions.
In 2021, only 50.9 per cent of infants born in Aceh received polio vaccination. The last confirmed polio case came in June 2024, from the province of South Papua. Since then, no polio has been detected, prompting WHO to declare the outbreak over on Wednesday. In a joint announcement on Friday, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin credited the success to “the dedication of health workers and the commitment of parents and communities.”
WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Director Saia Ma’u Piukala called the achievement “a critical step toward global eradication,” while calling for continued vigilance. “I urge all our 38 countries and areas to remain vigilant. One day polio will be just a memory. Until then, we vaccinate,” Piukala said.
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