By Bakah Derick
A national vaccination campaign against polio is expected to kick off this Friday 1 July 2022 across Cameroon. According to sources at the country's ministry of health, the campaign will run till Sunday 3 targeting children 0-5 years in households, hospitals and related health facilities, markets and other public places.
The campaign is the second this year after the first which was carried out from the 10 to 15 May. Though Cameroon was declared polio free in 2020, www.hilltopvoices.com has gathered that the country is facing a polio epidemic due to the emergence of new strains of poliovirus.
With the new strains as dangerous as the wild Poliovirus, the country's health authorities have classified the situation as "a public health emergency" thus necessitating a two round vaccination response campaign. Parents are encouraged to ensure the vaccination of their children.
Polio it should be recalled is a highly infectious disease caused by the Poliovirus, leading to partial ar total irreversible paralysis. The Poliovirus is transmitted by drinking contarminated water or food.
