22 October 2026, Cairo, Egypt – Two drops of vaccine are often used as a symbol for polio eradication. Yet protecting a child from poliovirus depends on far more than vaccination. It requires interconnected public health systems that can detect the virus, respond rapidly, reach every child and continuously adapt to changing risks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region is the only WHO region where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the world’s last two endemic countries. Other countries in the Region are continuing to respond to variant poliovirus outbreaks. Stopping transmission requires every part of the eradication programme to work together.

Across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, governments and regional partners – including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – are investing  system. Together, they are  to detect poliovirus earlier, respond faster, reach more children and advance critical research, bringing the Region closer to a polio-free future.