Ethiopia has successfully concluded the second round of its nationwide novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) campaign, reaching more than 16.8 million children across ten regions, said a statement from the World Health Organisation on Wednesday.
Led by the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and supported by the WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, and other immunization partners, the campaign was conducted from 30 May to 2 June 2025.
With an administrative coverage of 105%, the campaign integrated essential maternal and child health services to maximize its reach and impact.
While the primary target group was children under five, the age range was extended to include children up to ten years in Kellem and West Guji zones of Oromia Region, following localized risk assessments.
“Ethiopia’s leadership and coordination have been exemplary,” said Dr Owen L. Kaluwa, WHO Representative in Ethiopia. “In the first round, over 15.3 million children were vaccinated with nOPV2, achieving 103% coverage. These efforts are vital as the country continues to respond to outbreaks, with 69 cases reported across multiple regions between 2024 and March 2025.”
Throughout the campaign, WHO played a pivotal role in ensuring its success.
Key achievements are the zero-dose vaccination of 48,363 zero-dose children , bringing the cumulative total to over 110,000 across both rounds.
654 children have been immunized at official border entry points with Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
31,253 supervisory visits have been conducted, resulting in 365 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) alerts, with 81 confirmed cases and samples collected for laboratory analysis.
Independent monitoring and Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) surveys confirmed high campaign quality, with 98% of 52,120 children verified as vaccinated and 90% of lots passing the quality threshold.
WN/as/APA