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Mozambique: Health Ministry hopes to vaccinate 18 million children against polio
9:35 CAT | 04 Jun 2025
Photo: Ministério da Saúde - MISAU
The Mozambican Health Ministry expects to vaccinate 18 million children, under 10 years of age, against the type 2 variant of polio, as part of the continuing efforts to eradicate polio from Mozambique.
Health Minister Ussene Isse launched the national campaign in Maputo on Monday. It will last for five days, aimed at all children of the appropriate age. He believed it is entirely possible to meet this target, which is in line with other recent health interventions.
Polio is a highly contagious viral disease, Isse said, and children are its main victims. It strikes the central nervous system, often causing paralysis.
The vaccination brigades will go door-to-door, but there will also be fixed vaccination posts in health units, schools, churches, mosques, markets, fairs, and anywhere else where crowds can be expected to gather.
“In the border areas”, Isse added, “we will have special teams who will prioritise permanent contact with the children who are circulating in those areas”.
To allow better post-campaign assessment, the vaccinated children will be marked with appropriate ink on their left hand index finger, and will receive a vaccination card.
Isse said that 81,892 people have been mobilised for the campaign, including vaccinators, supervisors, coordinators, data typists, independent monitors and drivers.
To ensure the success of the campaign, the Minister called on all citizens to cooperate, so that no child is left unvaccinated. Citizens should unreservedly allow the vaccination teams to visit their homes or ensure that their children head to the nearest health unit or other vaccination site to receive the polio vaccine.
The government has mobilised about 15 million US dollars for this campaign, including its own funds and those of its partners.
For her part, the representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mary Louise Eagleton, reiterated UNICEF’s support for the eradication of polio.
“We want to guarantee that all children from all corners of the country have the same opportunity for access to health and dignity”, she said. “By vaccinating against polio, we are also strengthening the primary health care systems”.
She added that UNICEF will continue to support community development through clear information, social mobilisation, and strengthening trust in the health services.
Today, @SaudeMisau launched the first round of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign in 🇲🇿.
From June 2 to 6, this national polio vaccination campaign aims to vaccinate more than 18 million children under the age of 10 across #Mozambique.#EndPolio pic.twitter.com/sK86hysRXU
— UNICEF Moçambique (@UNICEF_Moz) June 2, 2025
O UNICEF participou no lançamento da Campanha de Vacinação contra a Pólio no distrito de Alto-Molòcué, na província da Zambézia.
A campanha pretende vacinar, em apenas cinco dias, cerca de 18,2 milhões de crianças menores de 10 anos. pic.twitter.com/UYAw9uW2Jl
— UNICEF Moçambique (@UNICEF_Moz) June 2, 2025
Source: AIM
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