Govt launches round 2 polio vaccination campaign targeting 3.7m children under five

Government has officially launched the second round of the national polio vaccination campaign targeting 3,759,057 children under five years across six high-risk provinces.

The campaign will run from June 2 to June 5, 2026 in Lusaka, Central, Muchinga, Western, Southern and Eastern Provinces identified as high risk for poliovirus transmission.

Permanent Secretary for Donor Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr. George Sinyangwe, launched the campaign at the Ministry of Health Headquarters Global Fund Board Room on Monday.

Sinyangwe said the launch followed detection of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type-2 from a wastewater sample collected in Lusaka District earlier this year.

“As we launch Round-Two today, to be implemented under the theme, ‘Every Child Vaccinated, Every Community Protected,’ I wish to encourage all parents and guardians to ensure that every child under five years of age receives the polio vaccine during the campaign period regardless of their previous vaccination status,” he said.

Sinyangwe noted that while no clinical cases of paralysis had been reported, the government and partners have launched emergency surveillance and vaccination drives to contain community transmission.

“I also wish to strongly encourage all key stakeholders, cooperating partners, the media, civic leaders, community-based organizations and the private sector to continue supporting this second round of the polio vaccination campaign,” he said.

He stated that collective action and strong community engagement were critical to ensuring that no child is left behind.

Sinyangwe assured of the Government commitment to safeguarding health and maintaining Zambia’s wild polio-free status under President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership.

The Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Zambia National Public Health Institute and cooperating partners are supporting the campaign, with health workers and community volunteers expected to conduct door-to-door vaccination.

Round 1 was conducted in April 2026 and vaccinated 3,841,940 children, representing 102 percent administrative coverage across the targeted provinces.

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