A way in which progress was achieved in the year 2020, was the announcement that the African continent was declared polio free by the Africa Regional Certification Commission [2], which is an independent body set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify when polio eradication is achieved in Africa [3]. This was a great achievement for all those involved in the endeavour.

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a disease caused by the poliovirus that can have debilitating and life-threatening effects. Its symptoms range from mild to severe. Its ability to infect the brain and spinal cord can leave its sufferers paralysed [4]. Polio is mostly seen in children under five. There is no cure but vaccinations give children protection against the virus for life[2].

Poliovirus is highly contagious [4] and is usually transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water . Two out of three strains have been eradicated worldwide and now the third strain is no longer present in 47 out of 54 African countries with 95% of the African population having been vaccinated.

However, there is a new strain of polio present on the African continent named “vaccine -derived polio” of which there are only 177 cases known at the present moment [2].

Africa is the second most populated continent in the world with a population of approximately 1.3 billion people [5]. This eradication of wild polio is an amazing achievement in global health and it shows how being tenacious in reaching a goal can bring about the accomplishment of that goal, which gives hope that the world can become a healthier place by taking one step at a time.