Government Rolls Out Polio Vaccination Drive for 3.7 Million Children

A nationwide polio immunisation drive aimed at reaching 3.7 million children below the age of five has kicked off, with authorities confirming it is the first of three rounds scheduled to be carried out.

Speaking at the launch, Health Minister Dr Alex Katakwe disclosed that the exercise will run from 20 to 23 April and cover six provinces, namely Lusaka, Central, Eastern, Muchinga, Southern and Western. Additional rounds will follow in the coming months to secure complete coverage of the eligible age group.

The Minister was addressing stakeholders at an event that also marked the official opening of the National Polio Laboratory in Lusaka. He indicated that the rollout had been triggered by laboratory findings earlier in the year, after a variant type 2 poliovirus was picked up in wastewater samples drawn from the Machinchi sewer ponds in Lusaka District during February 2026. The newly opened facility, he noted, is expected to bolster the country's ability to track and respond to future detections.

On his part, UNICEF Country Representative Raja Abdullah said the agency had delivered 4.4 million doses of the vaccine to 116 districts and 3,500 health facilities, ensuring adequate stocks are in place to carry the campaign through.

World Health Organization Representative Clement Lasuba, in his remarks, renewed the WHO's pledge to continue backing efforts to strengthen health security across the country.