Africa's triumph over wild polio shows the power of regional unity | Matshidiso Moeti

The legacy of a successful battle is now helping combat Covid, but we must stay vigilant, says WHO's Africa regional director

Africa has declared victory over a virus that once paralysed 75,000 children on the continent every year.

Four years have now passed since wild polio was last detected in Africa. After a year of rigorously evaluating polio data from all 47 countries in the WHO's African region, an independent body of experts announced during a virtual ceremony on Tuesdaythat the continent was free of wild polio.