Bosnia and Herzegovina Records a Decline in Polio Vaccination Coverage: Meeting of the Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in BiH

At the initiative of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and with the technical support of the World Health Organization Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a meeting of the Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held on 12 May 2026 in Sarajevo.

The Commission is composed of representatives of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Ministry of Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republika Srpska, and the Department for Health and Other Services of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the meeting, Commission members conducted a detailed review of previously submitted and consolidated information and data, and through discussion worked on necessary corrections, amendments, and additions with the aim of finalizing the Annual Report on Progress and Activities on Poliomyelitis Eradication for 2025. The 2025 report showed a decline in vaccination coverage compared to 2024. The Commission finalized the report, which, after obtaining approval from the competent institutions in accordance with the Decision on the Establishment of the Commission, will be submitted to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the World Health Organization.

The Commission also defined its upcoming activities to be implemented by the end of 2026, as well as joint activities of the Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in BiH and the Commission of Experts for Poliomyelitis in BiH.

In addition, the recommendations for Bosnia and Herzegovina from the 38th meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication (RCC), held in September 2024, were considered. The RCC noted certain improvements in the system and expressed expectations for further progress in vaccination and surveillance. However, it was emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is still considered a country with temporarily high risk due to insufficient vaccination coverage and the absence of an updated outbreak response plan. It was also highlighted that 66% of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina lives in areas where coverage with the third dose of polio vaccine is below 90%. Low vaccination coverage further increases the risk of disease re-emergence. Given the high level of risk, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been urged to take urgent measures to ensure better control and prevention.

In 2025, coverage with the third dose of polio vaccine amounted to 67%, representing a significant decrease comparFed to 2024, when coverage was 79%. These data further indicate the need for the competent entity ministries and the Brčko District to take appropriate actions. The Federal Ministry of Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republika Srpska, and the Brčko District Health Department support the development of surveillance plans, and certain activities have already been initiated in cooperation with international partners. There is expressed readiness, after the development of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance plans for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska, and the Brčko District of BiH, to engage in discussions aimed at developing a harmonized surveillance plan for acute flaccid paralysis (poliomyelitis) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thanks to global vaccination efforts, the number of polio cases worldwide has decreased by more than 99% since 1988. The World Health Organization declared Europe polio-free in 2007.