Statistics from the Ministry of Public Health revealing that six out of ten regions in Cameroon remain at high risk for polio, health stakeholders in the Littoral Region are intensifying preparations for the Local Immunization Days (LIDs), scheduled to run from April 23–27, 2026.
The campaign targets children aged 0 to 59 months in the Adamawa, Centre, Littoral, Far North, North, and East regions. On Thursday, April 16, media practitioners gathered at the Littoral Regional Delegation of Public Health to be briefed on their critical role in ensuring the campaign’s success.
Speaking during the briefing, the Regional Coordinator of Immunization, Dr. Ewane Leonard, emphasized that the campaign is a direct response to variant polio virus cases detected both within Cameroon and in neighboring Lake Chad Basin countries. “A single case of polio is tantamount to an outbreak,”Dr. Ewane warned. “Because of the Littoral’s status as a cosmopolitan economic capital with a highly mobile population and dense living environments, we must secure the contribution of every stakeholder from authorities and health personnel to the media and community leaders.”
Moreover ,”Every Child Counts”
The Littoral Region has set an ambitious target to vaccinate 764,220 children. To achieve this, the delegation is deploying a door-to-door strategy, supported by social mobilizers across all 24 health districts and 191 health areas.
The campaign will not be limited to households. Vaccination posts will be established in:
All primary schools and nurseries.Churches and mosques. Markets, traditional palaces, and hospitals. Dedicated teams will reach out to IDPs, refugees, and mobile fishing communities along the coast.
The regional health delegation outlined four primary goals for this four-day exercise:
Inform at least 95% of parents before the teams arrive. Administer the oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) to 100%of children aged 0–5 years. Identify and vaccinate children who have missed routine immunization .Strengthen the monitoring of vaccine-preventable diseases, including Yellow Fever, Neonatal Tetanus, and Acute Flaccid Paralysis.
Understanding the Risk
Despite no new cases being reported in early 2026, the situation remains precarious. In 2025, five variant polioviruses were detected across four regions. Furthermore, national vaccination coverage for OPV3 and IPV hovers around 70%, which is insufficient to guarantee herd immunity.
The movement of people across borders—particularly from Nigeria combined with pockets of vaccine refusal, makes this synchronized campaign a biological necessity to interrupt transmission.
In addition,health officials underscored that the nOPV2 vaccine is safe, effective, and free. In addition to the polio drops, the campaign will offer catch-up vaccinations for the HPV vaccine for boys and girls aged 9 years.
“Studies show that when parents are well-informed in advance, participation is optimal. We are counting on the media to carry this message to every corner of the region so that no child is left paralyzed by a preventable disease, Dr Ewane said
Visionary Reports 
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