A Milestone in Keeping Children Polio-Free

In a renewed effort to curb the spread of variant poliovirus type 2, five limitrophe African countries have launched a synchronized regional vaccination campaign, thus protecting 83 million children under 5.

“The Lake Chad Basin remains a critical area in our fight against polio, says the Minister of Health of Chad, Hon. Dr Abdelmadjid Abderahim. “By coming together as a region, we reinforce our commitment to ending polio once and for all.”

Across the Lake Chad Basin – a vast area in Central Africa encompassing Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria – 210 detections have been reported over the last year, 140 of which resulted in paralysis. Twelve million children were vaccinated in the previous year through mass immunization campaigns. As the risk of cross-border transmission remains high, coordinated regional action is crucial. Hence, the latest synchronized polio vaccination campaign targets high-risk and mobile populations to strengthen immunity and curb transmission as part of the Africa Regional Polio Eradication Action Plan and the Polio Eradication Cross-Border Coordination Plan 2024-25. An estimated 1.1 million frontline workers – vaccinators, social mobilizers, health workers, local leaders, and volunteers – will be hard at work to protect every child. The vaccination campaign is made possible by the participation of global health partners, including WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Rotary International, which reaffirm their commitment to polio eradication.