Madagascar Boosts Polio Defense with WHO-Accredited Lab
National Capacity Strengthened for Rapid Virus Detection and Response
Madagascar has significantly enhanced its ability to monitor and combat poliovirus with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art laboratory. This new facility, accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO), solidifies the nation’s role as a regional hub for swift poliovirus identification and outbreak management.
A Leap Forward in Polio Surveillance
The laboratory, now officially handed over to national authorities, is situated at the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar in the capital, Antananarivo. Its establishment in 2023 has dramatically improved Madagascar’s capacity for rapid poliovirus detection through both acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance methods.
Between 2022 and 2024, the lab identified over 40 instances of circulating variant poliovirus type 1, allowing for immediate and targeted vaccination campaigns. These interventions were crucial in halting an outbreak, leading to Madagascar marking two full years without new detections by May 2025, thus officially closing the outbreak after thorough assessment.
“This commissioning symbolizes our collective commitment. It brings us closer to a future where no child in Madagascar—or anywhere—is at risk of polio.”
—Dr Nely Alphonse José, Head of Plague, Emerging and Neglected Tropical Disease Control Department at the Ministry of Public Health
The initiative also incorporates innovative tools like direct detection via Nanopore sequencing, a new technology that accelerates viral identification, eliminating the need to send samples abroad for genomic analysis.
Regional Impact and Future Self-Sufficiency
“This laboratory is not only a national asset—it’s a regional resource,” stated Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Madagascar. He emphasized that with its enhanced capabilities and cutting-edge technology, Madagascar is now better positioned to lead the fight against poliovirus transmission across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The transfer of the laboratory signifies a major stride toward self-sufficient, country-led polio surveillance. It ensures robust measures are in place to maintain the nation’s polio-free status and contribute to the global objective of eradicating the disease.
The project benefited from close collaboration among national health authorities, the WHO, and support from the Gates Foundation. Technical assistance, training, IT upgrades, and environmental site optimizations were provided to bolster the laboratory’s operations and align with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s objectives.
The laboratory, accredited for viral isolation, intratypic differentiation, and environmental surveillance, is now a vital component of Madagascar’s integrated disease surveillance system. It guarantees timely data to inform vaccination drives and outbreak responses nationwide. For context, as of 2023, approximately 99% of the global population lives in polio-free regions, a testament to intensified global surveillance efforts ([https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis-(polio)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis-(polio))).
