The 2016 vaccination for the prevention of poliomyelitis in children below five years kicks off in the Littoral on Friday, March 10, 2016. The campaign due to end on March 12 marks the beginning of the enlarged vaccination campaign for 2016.

Regional Delegate of Public Health Martin Yamba Beyas told a press conference in Bonanjo March 7, 2016, that the campaign is to consolidate the protection of children. The country, he said, is void of the circulation of the wild polio virus: “Although the wild polio virus is not circulating anymore it is present in its dormant stage.” The present vaccination campaigns as well as those in the months ahead, according to the health authority, are to advance towards eradication. The target is to reach all 690,898 children of below five years in the region with a hundred percent eradicate rate.

The statement by the Regional Delegate proves of the successes of previous campaigns which has stopped the circulation of the wild polio virus. Over 1654 agents have been mobilized to carry out the exercise that consists of going from door-to-door, meeting the target audience in market places, schools and health establishments. We are going to continue with vaccination against the poliomyelitis among children but it is not going to be regular this time.