Running from 18 to 21 September 2020, the campaign aims to immunize over 2 million children under five in seven regions: Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, and Centre-Est. UNICEF confirmed this in a press release, highlighting the urgency of the initiative following a recent poliovirus detection.

In January, a polio case was confirmed in the Ouargaye health district. A localized vaccination effort was swiftly organized in the Centre-Est region, but the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted ongoing response efforts, leading to gaps in immunization services and a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases like polio.

“The Covid-19 pandemic forced a temporary halt to vaccination campaigns, creating disruptions in immunization services and contributing to an increase in cases of polio and other epidemic-prone diseases,” explained James Mugaju, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Burkina Faso.

By June, the national disease surveillance system had identified nine new polio cases and over 600 acute flaccid paralysis cases—a condition linked to polio. To combat this, the campaign will deploy more than 5,000 health workers and mobilizers, who will go door-to-door to register, sensitize, and vaccinate every child aged 0 to 59 months.

safety measures against Covid-19 during vaccination efforts

As part of the campaign, UNICEF has provided over 2.29 million vaccine doses, along with essential supplies to support community engagement. To ensure safe vaccination during the pandemic, health teams will use 39,500 masks and 26,500 bottles of hand sanitizer to comply with Covid-19 safety protocols.

“We are committed to ending the polio outbreak in Burkina Faso,” Mugaju stated. “We urge local authorities, community leaders, and parents to support our teams and ensure every child is vaccinated. Polio remains a serious threat to children’s health, and we must eliminate it from the country.”

He added, “With healthcare access declining due to insecurity and the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s critical to intensify efforts to reach every child, vaccinate them, and protect them from preventable diseases like polio.”

Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects young children. The virus spreads through contaminated food or water and can lead to paralysis by attacking the nervous system.

Burkina Faso was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2015, but it now faces outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio, one of the 15 African countries currently battling such cases.

A second vaccination round is scheduled for early October 2020, targeting nine regions: Plateau Central, Centre, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Centre-Est, Sahel, and Nord.