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Patrick Chitumba, [email protected] 

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is conducting a massive polio sensitisation and vaccination campaign in the Midlands Province 

Since last week, ministry officials have been conducting vaccinations in primary schools and early childhood learning centres across the province targeting children under 10 years of age.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care in collaboration with Unicef, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and several other partners, started the nationwide polio vaccination campaign using the novel OPV type two (nOPV2) vaccine. This follows the confirmation of circulating polio virus type two (cVDPV2) in Zimbabwe.

This countrywide campaign, which targets all children under 10 years old, is aimed at interrupting virus transmission and preventing further rapid outbreaks.

The campaign will utilise high-quality oral polio vaccines and be implemented in two phases, reaching an estimated four million children nationwide during each round. 

To ensure wide coverage, it will combine the usual vaccination at health facilities with a door-to-door approach.

Through routine environmental surveillance, 17 circulating polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) were detected in sewage samples collected in Harare.

Additionally, through intensified disease surveillance, the Ministry of Health and Child Care identified three human cases of polio in Mashonaland West and Harare Provinces. 

Without urgent action, there is a high risk of the spread of polio. The ministry urged communities and religious leaders to encourage their children to embrace vaccination within their communities.

Midlands provincial medical director Dr Mary Muchekeza, said that the country had last experienced polio cases in 1987. She said there has been no circulating polio virus identified from that time.

“As a province, we are following a polio vaccination and sensitisation programme spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Child Care across the province. I urge the members of the community to embrace this by taking their children for vaccination,” she said.

Dr Muchekeza said the new form of polio can be spread within communities, adding that it is a rare infection that has been increasing as a result of low immunisation rates.

“The last polio cases were identified in 1987, until recently seven cases have been identified in the country through environmental screening surveillance. We aim to vaccinate children under 10 years of age with two doses, one in February and the other in March,” she said.

Dr Muchekeza said the campaigns are being carried out to make sure that every child is vaccinated as the virus is more severe to children who have not received polio vaccination.

“We will use the implementation strategies such as door-to-door, fixed points, health facilities, schools as well as community centres and mobile facilities, so that we reach all the children,” she said.

The WHO introduced a novel oral polio vaccine which is modified and will cover three types of polio vaccines.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the detection of cVDPV2 is a serious concern.

 

He, however, said the country is prepared to respond swiftly and effectively.

“This nationwide vaccination campaign demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the health of every child in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Mombeshora.

This is the first time Zimbabwe is using the novel OPV2 vaccine, a critical new and safe tool in the fight against cVDPV2 launched by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 2021. 

The nOPV2 has been successfully used in several African countries, including Ethiopia, Benin, Congo Republic, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

In support of the polio vaccination campaign, large-scale communication activities are rolled out to ensure parents are fully informed and motivated to have their children vaccinated.