The Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso, in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), has initiated a nationwide polio vaccination drive targeting children under five years old across seven regions of the country.
Running from September 18 to 21, 2020, the campaign aims to immunize over 2 million young children in the Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, and Centre-Est regions. This initiative comes in response to a confirmed polio case detected in the Ouargaye health district in January 2020, followed by a localized vaccination effort in the Centre-Est region before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted response efforts.
impact of covid-19 on vaccination services
« The Covid-19 pandemic led to the temporary suspension of several vaccination campaigns, » explained James Mugaju, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Burkina Faso. « This pause created gaps in essential immunization services and contributed to an increase in cases of vaccine-preventable 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 that polio can cause.
massive mobilization to reach every child
The upcoming campaign will deploy more than 5,000 health workers and community mobilizers who will go door-to-door to identify, sensitize, and vaccinate children aged 0 to 59 months. UNICEF is supporting the initiative by providing 2,290,000 vaccine doses and ensuring community engagement. To maintain Covid-19 safety protocols, each vaccinator has been equipped with 39,500 masks and 26,500 bottles of hand sanitizer.
« UNICEF and WHO are fully committed to ending the polio outbreak in Burkina Faso, » emphasized James Mugaju. « We urge all stakeholders—local authorities, community leaders, and parents—to support vaccination teams. Polio is a serious threat to children’s health, and we must eliminate this disease from the country. »
He added, « With healthcare access declining due to insecurity and the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s more critical than ever to intensify efforts to reach every child and protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio. »
understanding the threat of polio
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects young children. The virus spreads through contaminated food or water. After multiplying in the intestines, it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. While Burkina Faso was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2015, it remains one of 15 African countries experiencing outbreaks linked to non-wild poliovirus strains.
A second round of vaccination is scheduled for early October 2020 to cover nine regions: Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Centre-Est, Sahel, and Nord.