On Friday, 12 September 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) unveiled a Polio Reference and Redistribution Centre at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) campus in Sandringham, Johannesburg. The new facility will address the persistent shortage of essential reagents and supplies – a longstanding challenge for polio laboratories across Africa. It will enhance the storage and rapid distribution of these materials, strengthening laboratories throughout the African Region.
WHO Representative in South Africa, Ms Shenaaz El-Halabi, said: “The Global Polio Laboratory Network is dedicated to a singular mission: delivering timely and precise diagnostic results to support the polio programme’s effective response to any poliovirus outbreak. The NICD functions not only as the National Polio Laboratory for South Africa but also serves nine additional countries as the National Polio Lab and as a Sequencing Referral to seven other countries.”
The centre is one of the three designated regional reference laboratories. The NICD plays a pivotal role in supporting other regional laboratories through capacity-building initiatives, enhancement of quality assurance measures, and continuous efforts to broaden sequencing capacity and expertise throughout Africa.
NICD Executive Director, Prof. Adrian Puren, welcomed the opening of the centre and expressed gratitude to the WHO, the Gates Foundation (which funded the centre), and other partners. National Health Laboratory Service CEO, Prof. Koleka Mlisana, and Deputy Director-General at the National Department of Health NDoH, Dr Anban Pillay, echoed these sentiments.
“We call upon the National Department of Health to play a crucial role by facilitating the smooth shipment and clearance of laboratory items, investing in resource mobilisation, and strengthening laboratory operations through capacity building, procurement, and the recruitment and retention of skilled personnel,” Ms El-Halabi concluded.
