Ministry set to launch nationwide polio vaccination campaign

By Peter Ochieng

The Cabinet Secretary (CS) Deborah Barasa led Ministry of Health (MoH) is set to launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign.

The campaign will be launched on Wednesday, October 02, 2024, and will run to October 06, in response to a recent outbreak of circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Type 2 (cVDPV2) in Kenya.

This year, five cases of the virus have been confirmed, including four children from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County, and one positive environmental surveillance sample in Kamukunji Sub-County, Nairobi.

“The vaccination campaign will target over 3.8 million children under the age of five across nine high-risk counties: Nairobi, Busia, Bungoma, Turkana, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Kiambu, Machakos, and Kajiado,” said Principal Secretary (PS) for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muriuki, during a media stakeholders' briefing in Nairobi.

She emphasised the government’s commitment to eradicating polio and highlighted the crucial role of over 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), in the campaign’s success.

“I urge parents and caregivers in the target counties to ensure their children are vaccinated,” appealed the PS.

The polio campaign coincides with the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA) on 1st October 2024, aimed at providing sustainable healthcare financing under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.

The vaccination campaign is being supported by various partners, among them the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Rotary, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the Kenya Red Cross Society.

Additionally, the PS addressed the ongoing Mpox outbreak in Kenya, confirming eight cases.

She advised the public to practise hygiene and avoid physical contact with symptomatic individuals, in a bid to prevent further spread of Mpox.

PS Muriuki added that the Ministry is working to secure Mpox vaccines for high-risk populations.

For more information or to report suspected cases of polio or Mpox, one can contact the Ministry of Health via emergency hotlines: 719, 0729471414, or 0732353535.