LAKE CHAD BASIN NATIONS LAUNCH MAJOR POLIO VACCINATION DRIVE TARGETING 83 MILLION CHILDREN
Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria unite to combat variant polio type 2, aiming to protect millions of children in a high-risk, cross-border campaign.
Lake chad basin
Polio
Vaccination
Health ministers from across the Lake Chad Basin region have launched a massive vaccination campaign targeting 83 million children under the age of five, in a renewed regional effort to eradicate variant poliovirus type 2.
The synchronized drive, set to run from April 24 to 28, will focus on high-risk and mobile populations, particularly in border areas of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, where surveillance indicators have consistently fallen short of international targets.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the variant poliovirus type 2 has been detected in wastewater and among individuals in all four countries over the past year. Of the 210 confirmed detections, 140 have resulted in paralysis.
“The Lake Chad Basin remains a critical area in our fight against polio. By coming together as a region, we reinforce our commitment to ending polio once and for all,” said Chad’s Minister of Health, Abdelmadjid Abderahim.
The campaign will be supported by an estimated 1.1 million frontline workers—including vaccinators, monitors, and social mobilizers—tasked with ensuring that no child is left unprotected.
Although no cases have been confirmed in the neighboring Central African Republic, WHO officials warn that evidence points to a high risk of cross-border transmission, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated regional action.
More than half of Chad’s reported polio cases in 2024 have been genetically linked to the strain circulating in Cameroon, highlighting the importance of a harmonized response strategy across national borders.
The Lake Chad Basin, shared by multiple nations and home to over 30 million people, remains one of the most complex regions in the global fight to eradicate polio.
