Polio vaccination campaign targets over 640,000 children in Ecuador province amid ongoing DRC cases

Ecuador province in the Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a significant polio vaccination campaign, aiming to protect an estimated 641,000 children under the age of five. The initiative, which began in Mbandaka, covers all 18 health zones within the province.

To ensure widespread reach, health officials are implementing a door-to-door vaccination strategy. Vaccinators will visit homes in neighborhoods, villages, and localities to administer four drops of the polio vaccine to each targeted child. Provincial Vice-Governor Thomas Boyenge Ifaso urged parents and guardians to cooperate with the medical teams, emphasizing the importance of having young children readily available for vaccination.

Boyenge Ifaso also called upon local administrators, traditional chiefs, and religious leaders to actively participate in community awareness efforts to guarantee the campaign's success. The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Mbandaka, Lado Addoulaye, stressed that polio remains a serious health threat in the DRC.

Addoulaye reported that ten polio cases have been identified in the country since the start of 2026, with nine cases in Maniema province and one in Haut-Lomami. He described the situation as concerning and requiring a collective mobilization. Both provincial authorities and international partners are urging parents to ensure all eligible children receive the vaccine to prevent the spread of this debilitating disease, which can cause irreversible paralysis.