Government has launched the second round of the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2) vaccination campaign in Isoka District aimed at protecting children under the age of five against the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
Acting Isoka District Commissioner Kenneth Mwantalasha launched the campaign at Sansamwenje Market and called on parents and guardians to ensure that all eligible children receive the vaccine.
Mr Mwantalasha said the Ministry of Health has dedicated four days to provide polio vaccination services as part of efforts to support the health and optimal development of children under the age of five.
“The government, with support from cooperating partners, will this week focus on enhancing the provision of community-centred child survival interventions across the province without leaving any child behind,” he said.
Mr Mwantalasha said Muchinga Province recorded a successful first round of the vaccination campaign, reaching 265,178 households and vaccinating 262,150 children against a target of 242,460, representing 108 percent coverage.
He added that in Isoka District, health workers vaccinated 26,429 children out of a target of 28,125 and reached 32,419 households.
And Isoka District Health Director Mdaniso Mkandawire, who represented the Provincial Health Director, said Zambia detected the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 in the Lusaka sewer system on February 16, 2026, prompting the country to implement outbreak response measures.
Dr Mkandawire said the Government, in collaboration with cooperating partners, has planned three rounds of vaccination campaigns in six provinces bordering Malawi and Namibia.
“The country will conduct three rounds of Novel Oral Poliovirus Type 2 vaccination as agreed with the Regional Outbreak Response Preparedness Group for Polio Eradication,” he said.
He said Muchinga Province remains among the high-risk areas because it shares an extensive border with Malawi, where the virus has also been detected.
“Muchinga Province shares the biggest border with Malawi, making Isoka, Nakonde and Mafinga districts highly vulnerable,” Dr Mkandawire said.
He noted that polio is a debilitating disease with no cure and urged communities to take advantage of the vaccination exercise.
“Polio has no cure, but it is preventable through vaccination,” he said.
And World Health Organization(WHO) representative Peter Chipimo commended the Zambian Government for its response to the outbreak and urged health workers and volunteers to intensify community mobilisation.
“I would like to commend the government of Zambia through the Ministry of Health for the swift and decisive leadership they have shown during this time that we need to save our children,” he said.
Dr Chipimo commended health personnel for the job they are doing and encouraged vaccinators to reach every eligible child, including those living in hard-to-reach areas.
“To our gallant health workers and frontline volunteers, you are the backbone of this response. The main goal is to save our children. Those two drops that you give our children are basically what stands between a sick child and a healthy child,” he expressed.
The second round of the vaccination campaign is running from June 2 to 5, 2026 and targets children under the age of five across Muchinga Province.
