Yaoundé, Cameroon – October 23, 2025
In a major step forward for Africa’s fight against polio, Cameroon has successfully sequenced a circulating variant poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) for the very first time. This milestone marks a new level of national capacity to detect and respond faster to polio outbreaks, helping protect millions of children from paralysis.
Polio has three strains—types 1, 2, and 3. While wild poliovirus type 3 was declared eradicated globally in 2019, variant type 3 can still appear in areas with low immunity. Rapid detection and action are therefore vital to stop its spread.
Faster detection, faster response
Until recently, Cameroon relied on regional laboratories outside the country for sequencing and confirmation of poliovirus samples. Now, with expanded national sequencing capacity, the country’s polio laboratory in Yaoundé can detect and produce preliminary results before sending samples to the regional reference lab in Ghana for quality assurance.
This breakthrough means faster outbreak response, reduced delays, and greater national ownership of public health interventions. By acting on local results, health officials can move quickly to contain potential outbreaks—saving time, resources, and lives.
Africa’s growing network of sequencing labs
Cameroon’s achievement is part of a continent-wide transformation supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and its Polio Laboratory Programme, led by Dr. Jude Anfumbom Kfutwah. Other recent efforts made by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) to improve health care in Africa can be seen in this article , African nations has also been leading the charge to strengthen their individual health systems as seen in the fight against Hepatitis B and doing more with less movement.
“Expanding polio sequencing labs across Africa will significantly strengthen our fight against polioviruses and other vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Dr. Kfutwah. “It represents real progress for public health in our region.”
Nigeria and others leading the way
Several African countries are building in-country sequencing facilities to bring virus detection closer to outbreak zones. In Nigeria, the recent opening of the Ibadan sequencing laboratory has already cut the turnaround time for variant poliovirus type 1 results by 41%, improving the country’s ability to act fast and limit virus spread.
Before local sequencing, samples had to be shipped long distances across borders, often causing delays. Now, faster results mean quicker containment of outbreaks and stronger disease surveillance.
New technology for faster results
Africa is also adopting next-generation sequencing tools like the MinION nanopore platform—a portable, easy-to-use device that reads the genetic code of viruses in real time, even outside of traditional lab settings.
In recent analyses, the MinION technology delivered faster results than conventional Sanger sequencing, allowing health teams to respond more rapidly at the community level.
A stronger, self-reliant Africa in disease control
The successful sequencing of cVDPV3 in Cameroon shows Africa’s growing leadership and resilience in public health. Countries are now generating and analyzing their own data—reducing dependency on external laboratories and boosting the continent’s epidemic preparedness.
Each day gained in detection and response means more children are vaccinated, more lives are protected, and Africa moves closer to a polio-free future.