Public Health Emergency status
IHR Public Health Emergency of International Concern
Temporary Recommendations to Reduce International Spread of Poliovirus
On 5 May 2014 the WHO Director-General declared the international spread of poliovirus in 2014 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), issued Temporary Recommendations to reduce the international spread of poliovirus, and requested a reassessment of this situation by the Emergency Committee every three months. The 27th meeting of the Emergency Committee was held in February 2021.
Based on the committee’s advice and the reports made by affected States Parties, the Director-General extended the following Temporary Recommendations under the IHR (2005), effective August 2021. The committee’s full report is available here.
At a glance
States infected with WPV1, cVDPV1 or cVDPV3, with potential risk of international spread
- Afghanistan (WPV1)
- Pakistan (WPV1)
- China (cVDPV3)
- Madagascar (cVDPV1)
- Yemen (cVDPV1)
States infected with cVDPV2, with potential risk of international spread
- Afghanistan
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Republic of Congo
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Iran
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tajikistan
- Togo
States no longer infected with WPV1 or cVDPV, but remain vulnerable to cVDPV re-infection
- Angola (cVDPV2)
- Myanmar (cVDPV1)
- Malaysia (cVDPV1)
- Philippines (cVDPV2)
- Zambia (cVDPV2)
Polio-free countriesPlease send questions to: polioihr@who.int
While there are no specific IHR Temporary Recommendations for travellers from polio free countries, those travelling to polio-affected countries are advised to consult International Travel and Health
Related Links
For travellers: Frequently-asked questions [pdf]
Translations: Français | Español | عربي
Download the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis
Current global polio case count
International Health Regulations portal (secured-access for national IHR focal point)
