Anti-polio vaccination programme to target Africa's 63m children

African countries have today begun a massive, synchronized polio immunization campaign which aims to vaccinate 63 million children over the next few days.

The programme kicked off one month after an emergency WHO meeting of Health Ministers committed to end polio transmission in 2004.

Immunization has already started in Cameroon and, from February 23, 10 countries will hold simultaneous polio immunization campaigns, targeting 63 million children in Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad (joining in March), Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Togo. Political, religious and traditional leaders will team up to launch the activities, and tens of thousands of vaccinators will go house-to-house over three days to administer the vaccine directly to every child, the WHO said.

In recent months, polio has again spread across west and central Africa, paralyzing children in seven previously polio-free countries – most recently in the Central African Republic – and putting millions more at risk. But partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative say that if upcoming campaigns over the next several months reach every child, polio in Africa could be stopped in its tracks in 2004.

“After eight years of incredible collaboration and investment, Africa is standing on the verge of a well-deserved triumph in public health,” said Dr Ebrahim Samba, WHO Regional Director for the African Region.

“But the disease is now threatening to make a comeback, and the whole continent is on the brink of re-infection unless these campaigns stop the further spread of the virus. Africa has proved it can stop polio – now is the time to finish the job.”

(gmcg)