The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the commencement of the third round of polio vaccination for all children under five in Tanzania.
Development Diaries understands that the East African country, through this campaign, is working towards vaccinating 12,386,854 children from 01 to 04 September, 2022, in all 31 regions and 195 districts of Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.
The aim of this vaccination campaign, according to development partners in the country, is to ensure the prevention of polio to all children after Malawi and Mozambique reported one and four Wild Polio virus (WPV1) this year.
Anti-polio campaign was launched in Malawi on 20 March, 2022, after the country declared an outbreak of polio in February – the first such case in Africa since the continent was certified free of indigenous wild poliovirus in 2020.
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours, particularly among children under five.
The virus is transmitted from person to person mainly through faecal matter or through contaminated water or food, and multiplies in the intestine.
While there is no cure for polio, the disease can be prevented through administration of a safe, simple and effective vaccine.
The WHO, United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and other partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are supporting Tanzania to step up the polio fight.
‘Detection of WPV1 outside the world’s two remaining endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan is a serious concern and underscores the importance of prioritising polio immunisation activities in countries to prevent future instances of importation’, a statement from WHO read.
‘Any form of poliovirus anywhere is a threat to children everywhere. It is critical that the global polio eradication strategies are fully resourced and fully implemented everywhere, to ensure a world free of all forms of poliovirus can be achieved’.
Following the outbreak in Malawi and subsequently in Mozambique, vaccination campaigns were necessary in neighbouring countries.
Tanzania, it was gathered, vaccinated a total of 1,130,261 in the first round and the second round reached 12,131,049 children.
It is expected that through four rounds of supplemental vaccination, and other activities, such as routine vaccination, Tanzania will prevent occurrence of an actual polio case.
Photo source: WHO
