South-East Asia Region Reaffirms Commitment to Sustaining Polio Free Status

The 19th Meeting of the South‑East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEA‑RCCPE) was held from 24–26 June 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together global and regional experts to review progress and challenges in sustaining the Region’s polio‑free status. The meeting was inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Health and Mass Media, Government of Sri Lanka along with Ag WHO Representative to Sri Lanka and Chair of the Global Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication.

The SEA-RCCPE is an independent regional certification body that provides oversight and guidance on polio eradication in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

During the meeting, the Commission reviewed country annual reports submitted through National Certification Committees of all ten countries of the Region, assessed programme performance, and examined key aspects including population immunity, surveillance systems, outbreak preparedness, containment, and polio transition.

The Commission noted that the Region continues to demonstrate strong overall performance in maintaining polio‑free status. The Commission expressed concern about subnational inequities in immunization coverage, zero dose children, and surveillance in hard-to-reach areas including conflict affected areas and among vulnerable populations including displaced populations, posing an ongoing risk of poliovirus importation and emergence of variant polioviruses.

The Commission emphasized the need for sustained vigilance and collective action to protect the Region’s achievements.

The SEA‑RCCPE reaffirmed that maintaining a polio‑free Region requires continued political commitment, strong national systems, and sustained regional collaboration.

The meeting underscored the importance of integrating polio essential functions into broader health systems to ensure long‑term sustainability and resilience.

About South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEA-RCCPE)

The SEA-RCCPE is an independent body of public health experts established to verify and monitor the Region’s polio-free status. The Commission reviews annual reports submitted by National Certification Committees from Member States and assesses evidence on population immunity, acute flaccid paralysis surveillance, poliovirus containment, outbreak preparedness, and polio transition.

The Commission’s continued oversight remains critical until global certification of polio eradication is achieved, helping countries sustain hard-won gains, rapidly detect and respond to any poliovirus risk, and maintain strong essential polio functions within broader immunization and health systems.