Indonesia has officially ended its outbreak of poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on 19 November 2025, marking a major milestone in the country’s public health efforts.

The outbreak, which began in October 2022 in Aceh province, spread over the next two years to several regions, including Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, North Maluku, Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua. The last confirmed case occurred in South Papua on 27 June 2024.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with international partners, administered nearly 60 million additional doses of polio vaccine to children nationwide during the outbreak response. Since June 2024, no poliovirus has been detected in children or in the environment.

“We have managed to stop the spread of polio in Indonesia thanks to the dedication of our health workers, commitment of parents and communities to get the children vaccinated, and the support of our partners,” said Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin. He emphasized the importance of maintaining vigilance, noting that “the risk of polio remains, especially with the gaps in immunization coverage in several provinces in Indonesia.”

The nationwide response included two rounds of polio campaigns using the novel OPV-2 (nOPV2) vaccine between late 2022 and mid-2024. Routine immunization coverage also improved, with the proportion of children receiving their second dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) rising from 63% (1.9 million children) in 2023 to 73% (3.2 million children) in 2024.

To accelerate protection, the Ministry of Health introduced a hexavalent vaccine, combining protection against polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type b, in a single injection. The programme began in October 2025 in Yogyakarta, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Bali, and six provinces in Greater Papua, with nationwide rollout planned for 2026.

The country has also strengthened Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance, improving case detection and stool specimen adequacy, in line with Global Polio Eradication Initiative protocols. Independent Outbreak Response Assessments (OBRA) conducted in 2023, 2024, and 2025 confirmed that Indonesia implemented a high-quality response and no new cases were detected, leading WHO to declare the outbreak officially closed.

“Indonesia’s success marks a vital step towards a polio-free world and reinforces the entire WHO Western Pacific Region’s ability to retain its polio-free status, an achievement we proudly reached 25 years ago,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.

The accomplishment was made possible through collaboration between the Government of Indonesia, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Rotary International, alongside the efforts of local health workers and communities.

UNICEF Indonesia Representative Maniza Zaman added, “This shows what is possible when communities, health workers, and partners unite. We must keep up the momentum so every child receives the immunization they need to grow up healthy and free from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.”

With the outbreak officially over, the Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to keeping Indonesia polio-free through strengthening routine immunization, enhancing surveillance, cross-sectoral collaboration, and community engagement. (ILKHA)