From September 18 to 21, 2020, a nationwide polio vaccination drive aims to immunize over 2 million children under five years old in seven regions of Burkina Faso: Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, and Centre-Est. This initiative, supported by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), seeks to curb the resurgence of polio cases in the country.

In January 2020, a polio case was detected in the Ouargaye health district, prompting an immediate localized vaccination campaign in the Centre-Est region. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these efforts, leading to a temporary halt in immunization services and a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases like polio.

« The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to pause vaccination campaigns, resulting in gaps in immunization coverage and an increase in polio cases, » explained James Mugaju, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Burkina Faso. By June 2020, nine new polio cases and over 600 cases of acute flaccid paralysis—potentially linked to polio—were identified by the national disease surveillance system.

Over 5,000 health workers to conduct door-to-door vaccinations

To combat this, the campaign mobilizes more than 5,000 health workers and community volunteers to go door-to-door, identifying and vaccinating children aged 0 to 59 months. UNICEF has provided 2,290,000 vaccine doses and distributed 39,500 masks and 26,500 bottles of hand sanitizer to ensure safety during the door-to-door visits.

« We urge all stakeholders—local authorities, community leaders, and parents—to support these vaccination teams. Polio remains a serious threat to children’s health, and we must eliminate it from Burkina Faso, » emphasized James Mugaju. « With healthcare access declining due to insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s crucial to redouble efforts to reach every child and protect them from preventable diseases like polio. »

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection primarily affecting young children. The virus spreads through contaminated water or food and can lead to paralysis by attacking the nervous system.

Burkina Faso was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2015, but it now faces outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio, one of the 15 African countries grappling with this issue. A second round of vaccination is planned for early October 2020, targeting nine regions: Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Centre-Est, Sahel, and Nord.