Kenya, Uganda vaccinate over 6.5 mln children against polio

NAIROBI, Uganda | Xinhua | More than 6.5 million children have been vaccinated in a synchronized polio campaign between Kenya and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

The UN health agency said the cross-border polio campaign began with a coordinated launch in Bungoma District of western Kenya and Mbale District of eastern Uganda, running between Oct. 3 and 6.

Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Coordinator in Kenya Charles Korir said in a statement that the current polio outbreak in East Africa is fueled by heavy movement of high-risk populations between countries.

“The decision by the governments of Kenya and Uganda to conduct two synchronized on Oct. 2-6 and Nov. 6-10 is a laudable effort supported by the GPEI partnership,” Korir added.

According to the WHO, by conducting these campaigns on the same dates and sharing real-time information, both countries ensured that children under five in these vulnerable areas were reached effectively, reducing the chance of cross-border virus transmission.

This joint effort followed the recent detections of six polioviruses in Kenya and one virus reported this year in Uganda through environmental surveillance.

Health authorities have thus put in place common strategies not only at national levels in the two countries but also regionally, with particular focus on all the 10 districts bordering Kenya and Uganda.

“The virus is spreading fast in the East African region, putting our children — particularly aged five years or below — at the risk of contracting this incurable yet vaccine-preventable disease,” said Charles Njuguna, the WHO country representative in Uganda.

The WHO revealed that the collaborative initiative came as part of a broader strategy aimed at closing immunization gaps and addressing the persistent challenge of “zero-dose” children who have never been vaccinated. ■