The polio advocate, Paul Alexander, who contracted polio at age 6 and spent over 70 years in an iron lung, has passed away. 

Alexander became a lawyer, author, and tireless advocate for ending polio through vaccination efforts worldwide.

Also, on International Women's Day, the global polio eradication program recognized the crucial contributions of female health workers, leaders, and partners to progress against the disease.

Their advocacy, vaccination work, and collaboration have been instrumental to their success.

Though polio vaccination campaigns continue globally, several countries have reported new cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), which can emerge in under-immunized communities:

In response to the detection of cVDPV2 in wastewater samples from September 2023 to January 2024, Sudan's health ministry will launch a polio immunization campaign in April 2024.