MORE THAN 4.6 MILLION CHILDREN VACCINATED

MORE than 4.6 million children were vaccinated across the country during the four-day mass campaign, which ended on March 1.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), in collaboration with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), US Centre for Disease Control (USCDC) and other partners, launched this nationwide campaign using the nOPV2 vaccine following the confirmation of circulating poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Zimbabwe.

The campaign was targeting all children under 10-years-old.

The 4 633 015 children were vaccinated at municipal clinics, central hospitals, marketplace, and schools and also door-to-door visits.

The campaign followed the detection of a polio outbreak through sewage samples collected in Harare during routine environmental surveillance and intensified disease surveillance by the

MoHCC identified one human case of polio in Mashonaland West.

“While this campaign marks a significant milestone, our fight against polio is not over. We must remain vigilant and continue to prioritize routine childhood immunizations to ensure lasting protection,” said Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora.

Acting WHO Representative to Zimbabwe, Professor Jean-Marie Dangou, said this recent vaccination campaign was important.

“We applaud the Government of Zimbabwe’s efforts to ensure every child in Zimbabwe is protected,” Professor Dangou said.

“WHO remains a key partner and will continue to provide the necessary technical expertise to support Zimbabwe in its ongoing fight against this disease in collaboration with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.”