As global attention shifts to other priorities and resources dwindle, it is vital to protect the systems and people who have ensured success against polio in Africa.
It is estimated that vaccination has saved more than 154 million lives over the past 50 years—the equivalent of six lives every minute. Few public health initiatives have had a comparable impact. The challenge now is to sustain this progress and reach those who have still been left behind.
For Africa, the effort to eradicate polio offers a clear path forward. In 2020, the African region was certified as free of wild poliovirus, a milestone that, until recently, seemed unattainable. But that was not the end of the journey. It marks the transition from breaking the chain of transmission to consolidating that success.
Eradicating the virus required more than vaccines. It required long-term investment, cross-border coordination, and reaching communities outside the formal health system.
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At the heart of this effort were the people. Across the continent, health workers went from village to village and door to door, returning multiple times to ensure that no child was left behind, even in remote areas and conflict-affected communities. Women played decisive roles as vaccinators, supervisors, mobilizers, data collectors, and builders of trust between health systems and families. This trust was built through closeness and persistence. As caregivers and community members, women are often better positioned to engage directly with families, address concerns, and ensure that children are vaccinated, especially where there is hesitancy or barriers to access.
Leadership has reinforced these efforts. In several countries, first ladies have spearheaded polio campaigns, launching national vaccination drives, engaging with communities, and collaborating with local leaders to ensure children are reached. Their involvement has helped maintain focus and strengthen trust in immunization programs. Community volunteers, including those from Rotary’s global network of 1.2 million members, worked alongside them to support vaccination campaigns, locate unvaccinated children, and maintain trust with families.
The impact is clear. Today, more than 20 million people can walk, when they would otherwise have been paralyzed by polio. The systems created through eradication—surveillance networks, supply chains, and a skilled workforce—now support responses to other diseases, including Ebola and COVID-19.
But this progress must be sustained. As long as the virus exists anywhere, Africa’s immunization systems must remain strong enough to prevent its return and protect the hard-won gains.
Reaching the most vulnerable children is becoming increasingly complex. Climate change, conflict and insecurity, population displacement, and fragile health systems hinder access, especially for the 14.3 million who have never received a single dose of vaccine.
In this context, the role of women becomes even more crucial. They are essential not only for vaccine distribution but also for ensuring the continuity needed to reach communities over time, especially where access is limited and trust must be built gradually.
The foundations of this work were built through ongoing commitment, both globally and locally, including efforts initially spearheaded by Rotary International. Today, across Africa, platforms such as the Organization of African First Ladies (OAFLAD) and Rotary clubs keep immunization visible and a priority, even in the face of new challenges.
The lesson from polio goes beyond a single disease. It shows what progress is possible when long-term investment, community engagement, and consistent leadership come together, but also how fragile it becomes when any of these pillars weakens.
To sustain this progress, we must apply these same lessons more broadly, ensuring that service delivery systems—and the women who sustain them—remain strong enough to reach those who are still being left behind.
The question is no longer whether vaccines save lives, but how to distribute them consistently, equitably, and at scale.
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Now is the time for leaders, communities, and partners to actively advocate for and invest in women’s leadership, resilient immunization systems, and strategies that ensure the protection of all children. We urge all stakeholders to maintain focus and take action, ensuring that no progress is lost and that all children are reached.
Her Excellency Dr. Ana Dias Lourenço, First Lady of Angola, is the Vice President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), which brings together some 40 First Ladies with the goal of promoting health, education, gender equality, and women’s economic empowerment across Africa.
Jennifer Jones served as President of Rotary International from 2022 to 2023, becoming the first woman to hold that position in the organization’s 117-year history, and is currently the President-elect of The Rotary Foundation. She is also co-chair of the “ End Polio Now: Countdown to History” campaign.
