Burkina Faso intensifies fight against polio with nationwide vaccination drive
The Ministry of Health in Burkina Faso, in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), has launched an urgent polio vaccination campaign targeting seven regions across the country. This initiative follows a recent detection of polio cases and aims to protect over 2 million children under five years old from this highly contagious disease.
The campaign, running from September 18 to 21, 2020, will focus on regions including Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, and Centre-Est. Health authorities emphasized the critical nature of this effort, particularly amid challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
polio resurgence and the impact of covid-19
In January 2020, a polio case was confirmed in the Ouargaye health district, prompting an immediate localized vaccination response in the Centre-Est region. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted these efforts, leading to temporary suspensions of immunization campaigns. James Mugaju, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Burkina Faso, highlighted the consequences: “The Covid-19 pandemic caused a temporary halt in vaccination campaigns, which resulted in disrupted immunization services and an increase in cases of epidemic-prone diseases, including polio.”
By June 2020, the national disease surveillance system had identified nine new polio cases and over 600 instances of acute flaccid paralysis—a condition often linked to polio. These findings underscored the urgent need for renewed vaccination efforts to prevent further spread.
community-driven vaccination efforts
Over 5,000 health workers and mobilizers will conduct door-to-door visits to identify and vaccinate children aged 0 to 59 months. UNICEF is providing critical support by supplying 2.29 million vaccine doses and ensuring community engagement to maximize participation. Additionally, 39,500 masks and 26,500 bottles of hand sanitizer have been distributed to vaccinators to maintain Covid-19 safety protocols during the campaign.
“UNICEF and WHO remain fully committed to ending the polio outbreak in Burkina Faso,” Mugaju stated. “We urge local authorities, community leaders, and parents to support and facilitate the work of vaccination teams. Polio poses a serious threat to children’s health, and we must eliminate this disease from our country.”
He further emphasized the importance of these efforts, noting: “With healthcare access declining due to insecurity and the Covid-19 pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to redouble our efforts to reach every child, vaccinate them, and protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases like polio.”
polio: a preventable threat
Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects young children. It spreads through contaminated water or food and can lead to paralysis by invading the nervous system. While Burkina Faso was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2015, it is currently one of 15 countries in the African region experiencing outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio cases.
To broaden coverage, a second round of vaccination is scheduled for early October 2020, targeting nine regions: Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Centre-Est, Sahel, and Nord.
