A vulnerable remote population faces an urgent polio outbreak, underscoring a critical need for immunization in a region with deficient vaccination rates.
See the tweet below.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced a polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea (PNG), which has created ripple effects of concern throughout neighboring countries.
Community transmission was confirmed in the city of Lae, where the virus was detected in stool samples from two apparently healthy children during routine surveillance.
More concerning still, Poliovirus Type 2 was also discovered in environmental samples taken from the capital city of Port Moresby.
The outbreak comes as less than 50% of PNG’s population has received immunization against polio, leaving countless young children vulnerable to a disease that was once on the verge of global eradication.
This vaccination rate falls significantly below the WHO’s recommended minimum coverage of 80%, highlighting a systemic failure in basic public health infrastructure.
Health experts have determined that the outbreak is genetically linked to strains currently circulating in Indonesia, which shares a border with PNG.
This cross-border contamination demonstrates how quickly these threats can spread when proper protocols are not followed and borders remain porous to both human movement and disease transmission.
“Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere, especially to our children. Polio in Papua New Guinea can spread to neighbouring countries and anywhere in the world,” warned Dr. Huseynova, WHO representative in PNG.
The situation in the country varies dramatically by region, with some areas reporting vaccination rates as low as 8% while others reach 82%.
This patchwork of protection creates dangerous gaps where the disease can take hold and spread rapidly.
🇵🇬 POLIO STRIKES PAPUA NEW GUINEA
A polio outbreak has been confirmed in Papua New Guinea after detecting the virus in two healthy kids.
With under 50% immunization, WHO demands urgent nationwide vaccination.
The strain, linked to Indonesia, threatens regional spread.… pic.twitter.com/9LLXyMj5KR
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 16, 2025
Meanwhile, with support from WHO, UNICEF, and the Australian government, the PNG Department of Health has launched a rapid response program focusing on mass vaccination and enhanced surveillance.
Despite being declared polio-free since 2000, PNG experienced another outbreak in 2018 that was eventually contained.
This recurring problem points to deeper issues with the country’s healthcare system and raises questions about the effectiveness of international health organizations that repeatedly declare victory prematurely.
The resurgence of polio is not limited to PNG. The disease has recently appeared in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the WHO has warned of a potential outbreak in Gaza after virus traces were found in wastewater.
Besides, there is no cure for polio, which primarily affects children under five and can cause irreversible paralysis in a small percentage of cases.
The only protection is prevention through consistent vaccination programs.
As PNG races to vaccinate approximately 3.5 million children aged 0 to 10, the world watches to see if this latest effort will succeed where previous attempts have failed.
Ultimately, the situation reveals how vulnerable nations become when basic healthcare systems collapse and vaccination rates plummet.
