Malawi Vaccinates 1.3 Million Children After Polio Case
Malawi has vaccinated around 1.3 million children in a rapid four-day campaign following the detection of a new circulating variant of polio, the first reported in the country since 2022. That earlier outbreak was linked genetically to wild poliovirus originating in Pakistan.
The drive used the novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) and targeted eight districts in Malawi’s Southern Region, reaching approximately 97% of the planned children. Blantyre District recorded the highest coverage, administering doses to 109% of its target population.
An additional round is planned to vaccinate 42 000 children who missed the initial campaign.
“Polio is a debilitating disease that can leave one with lifelong disability and, in some cases, death. But the good news is that it is preventable through vaccination, good personal hygiene, and sanitation,” said Dr Charles Chilambula, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation.
Malawi received 1.7 million nOPV2 doses from the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision on 10 February, which were distributed within 12 hours to vaccination points across the targeted districts.
Communities played a key role in the campaign’s success. Health workers, social mobilisers, religious leaders, and traditional authorities provided accurate vaccine information, addressed misinformation, and encouraged household participation.
Of 84 initially reluctant households, 45 accepted vaccination following these engagement efforts. Authorities continue to follow up with remaining families ahead of upcoming rounds.
“This campaign exemplifies a well-coordinated, aggressive effort to halt polio transmission,” said Dr Charles Njuguna, Acting WHO Representative in Malawi. “WHO will continue supporting Malawi to ensure every child is protected from this vaccine-preventable disease.”
WHO aided in coordinating operational logistics, training local vaccinators, and strengthening data management systems for real-time reporting. Monitoring and evaluation ensured high standards were maintained, with a post-campaign lot quality assessment now underway.
Investigations revealed the outbreak is linked to circulating variant poliovirus type 2 detected in environmental surveillance and an unvaccinated seven-year-old child.
Such strains emerge in communities with low immunisation coverage and can spread via contaminated water or food, even in areas free of wild polio.
Social investigations and active case searches are ongoing to prevent further transmission.
