Ethiopia to Vaccinate over 7 Mln Children against Polio

Addis Ababa October 2/2020 (ENA) Ethiopia announced an immunization campaign to vaccinate more than 7 million Children against polio next week, according to Ethiopian Public Health Institution.

The four-day campaign will take place in Oromia, Somali, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), Harari regional states as well as in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administrations.

Ethiopian Public Health Institution (PHI) Deputy Director-General, Aschalew Abyneh told journalists today that the regions and city administrations are selected based on an assessment conducted throughout the country in December 2019 to see the prevalence of the disease.

The campaign is part of the on-going efforts to fight polio in the country, according to him.  

About 7 million children aged between 5 and below the age of five years will be vaccinated in 44  zones and 334 districts of the stated regions and city administrations in the campaign beginning from October 7, 2020.

The Deputy Director-General said the institution has made the necessary preparations in terms of resource mobilization and assignment of health professionals to successfully carry out the door to door vaccination campaign.

Noting that signs of Polio have been currently observed in Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan,  Ethiopian Public Health Institution is working with neighboring countries in order to control the disease throughout the horn of Africa, he added.