Well being ministers from 5 Lake Chad Basin international locations of Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) have launched a synchronised regional polio vaccination marketing campaign aimed toward immunizing over 83 million kids below the age of 5.
Already, about 1.1 million frontline staff, together with vaccinators, social mobilisers, and screens, have been mobilised for the train to make sure the safety of each youngster.
The five-day marketing campaign is focused at high-risk and cellular populations in border areas the place surveillance indicators have remained under goal and can strengthen efforts in direction of curbing the unfold of the circulating variant poliovirus sort 2 (cVDPV2), which has continued to pose a critical public well being risk throughout the area.
In accordance with the World Well being Organisation (WHO), the initiative is an important milestone within the struggle in opposition to variant poliovirus sort 2, which continues to pose a risk to hundreds of thousands of youngsters throughout the area.
The UN physique revealed that variant poliovirus sort 2 has been detected each within the setting (wastewater samples) and amongst affected people in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria over the previous 12 months, including {that a} whole of 210 detections have been reported throughout these 4 international locations, out of which 140 resulted in paralysis.
It added that although no instances have been reported in CAR, these findings underscore the continuing danger of cross-border transmission and the urgent want for coordinated regional motion.
The WHO famous that over 50 per cent of the polio instances reported in Chad in 2024 are linked to the pressure circulating in Cameroon, underlining the significance of coordination and synchronisation of polio response efforts.
It states that about 12 million kids have been vaccinated final yr via mass immunisation campaigns to halt the unfold of the virus, including that the marketing campaign is a part of a broader technique to make sure all kids are protected, no matter location or motion patterns.
Minister of Well being of Chad, Dr Abdelmadjid Abderahim, mentioned that the Lake Chad Basin stays a crucial space within the struggle in opposition to polio, including that by coming collectively as a area, “we reinforce our dedication to ending polio as soon as and for all.”
As a part of the launch, the ministers will maintain a closed-door assembly to debate challenges, evaluate epidemiological knowledge, and strengthen cross-border cooperation.
The worldwide well being physique famous that the occasion aligns with the Africa Regional Polio Eradication Motion Plan and the Polio Eradication Cross-Border Coordination Plan 2024–2025, endorsed in August 2024 and up to date in February 2025 to adapt to the evolving epidemiological state of affairs on the bottom, underscoring the area’s united dedication to defending each youngster.
“World well being companions, together with WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Basis, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Rotary Worldwide, will be a part of the hassle and reaffirm their dedication to polio eradication.
Neighborhood well being staff, native leaders, and volunteers can even play an important function in guaranteeing the marketing campaign’s success. This occasion will coincide with African Vaccination Week below the theme ‘Immunisation for all is humanly attainable.’
“The polio eradication initiative within the Lake Chad Basin demonstrates the facility of collaboration in world well being. By working collectively, governments, companions, and communities can guarantee a polio-free future for youngsters within the area and past,” it added.
