Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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January 29, 2026 Healthcare
More than 26 million children across Ethiopia have been vaccinated in the fourth round of the national polio vaccination campaign, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The campaign utilized a new oral poliovirus vaccine (nOPV2). In some areas of the country, vaccination was combined with the bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) to boost the population's immune defenses.
Ethiopia's Minister of Health, Mekdes Daba, reaffirmed the country's commitment to the eventual eradication of polio: "As a country certified free of wild poliovirus since 2017, we will work together to complete the final step toward polio eradication and fulfill our global commitments. No child will be left unvaccinated."
During the campaign, she said, health workers are monitoring cases of acute flaccid paralysis, identifying previously unvaccinated children, screening children for nutrition and growth, and monitoring for Marburg fever.
Speaking on behalf of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, Professor Francis Kasolo, WHO Representative in Ethiopia, welcomed the government's leadership, including the decision to combine bOPV and nOPV2 in priority districts. He emphasized that this will accelerate the interruption of poliovirus type 2 transmission and strengthen Ethiopia's ability to combat other variants of the virus.
Ethiopia conducted four rounds of nOPV2 immunization – one nationwide and three regionally. The campaigns were organized by the Ministry of Health and the Institute of Public Health with support from the WHO, UNICEF, and other partners.
These efforts aim to stop the circulation of the variant poliovirus (a mutated form of the wild poliovirus capable of spreading among underimmunized populations), address vaccination gaps, and strengthen surveillance systems. Ethiopia continues to strengthen monitoring of vaccine-preventable diseases, expand cross-border coordination and collaboration, and strengthen routine immunization programs. Initiative partners reaffirmed their commitment to continued support to ensure a polio-free world.
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