In a renewed effort to eradicate circulating polio variant Type 2 in the Lake Chad Basin, Ministers of Health from Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have launched a synchronised regional vaccination campaign to protect 83 million under-5 children.
While launching the programme at N’Djadmena, Chad, the Nigerian Minister for Health, Prof. Pate noted that the initiative is a crucial milestone in the fight against variant poliovirus Type 2, which continues to pose a threat to millions of children across the region.
“Over the past 12 months, variant poliovirus Type 2 has been detected both in the environment (wastewater samples) and among affected people in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. A total of 210 detections have been reported across these four countries, 140 of which resulted in paralysis.
“Over 50% of the polio cases reported in Chad in 2024 are linked to the strain circulating in Cameroon, underlining the importance of coordination and synchronisation of polio response efforts and nearly 12 million children were vaccinated last year through mass immunisation campaigns to halt the spread of the virus,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chadian Minister of Health, Dr Abdelmadjid Abderahim said: “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.”
As part of the launch, the ministers of health will hold a closed-door meeting to discuss challenges, review epidemiological data, and strengthen cross-border cooperation. The event aligns with the Africa Regional Polio Eradication Action Plan and the Polio Eradication Cross-Border Coordination Plan 2024–2025, endorsed in August 2024 and updated in February 2025 to adapt to the evolving epidemiological situation on the ground-underscoring the region’s united commitment to protecting every child.
Global health partners including WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Rotary International will join in reaffirming their commitment to polio eradication.