Ethiopia Intensifies Polio Prevention in Cross-Border and Refugee Communities
Ethiopia and South Sudan have conducted a synchronized polio vaccination campaign targeting over one million children in border regions. The effort aims to prevent the cross-border transmission of vaccine-derived poliovirus following recent detections in the area.
Why it matters
Coordinated international health interventions are critical for controlling infectious diseases in regions with high population mobility and porous borders.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia
The vaccination campaign was conducted in close coordination with South Sudan to ensure synchronized implementation on both sides of the border, creating substantial effect to interrupt virus transmission
Ethiopia conducted a synchronized polio vaccination campaign with South Sudan using the bivalent Oral Polio vaccine (bOPV) and reached over one million children under five years in high-risk border areas and refugee camps, as part of urgent efforts to prevent cross-border transmission of the variant polio virus from neighboring South Sudan. The vaccination campaign, implemented from 7 to 10 May 2026, covered Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz regions as well as West Wollega and Kelem Wollega zones of Oromia Region.
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