Nation-wide Polio vaccination begins
Public Health Minister, Manaouda Malachie, has announced the detection of variant poliovirus cases in the health districts of Ndélélé, Batouri, Ngaoundéré, Deido, Vélé, and Kousseri, posing a risk of widespread poliomyelitis circulation.
To curb the spread, the minister has detailed a nationwide vaccination campaign, with the first round scheduled for April 24-27, followed by a second round from May 29 to June 1 across all ten regions of Cameroon.
The campaign aims to “strengthen herd immunity among children under five” and halt “the circulation of type 2 variant poliovirus.”
While the vaccination drive will encompass the entire country, Minister Malachie emphasized targeted efforts for “indigenous, nomadic, refugee, displaced populations, and those living in border areas.” The campaign will be coordinated with neighboring Lake Chad Basin countries: Niger, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, and Chad.
Vaccination teams will be deployed to public spaces, including health centers, schools, churches, markets, traditional chiefdoms, and mosques, as well as conducting door-to-door visits to households.
Cameroon was declared free of wild poliovirus in June 2020, as announced by Minister Malachie in October 2024 during a briefing on the regional and national poliomyelitis epidemiological situation. However, since 2021, the country has experienced outbreaks linked to type 2 variants, necessitating a robust response to prevent a resurgence of the disease.
