National polio campaign kicks off

Health minister says early action will protect the country’s long-standing polio-free status despite virus detection in environmental surveillance.
Polio is a highly infectious disease spread through contaminated hands, food, and unsafe drinking water. It can cause lifelong paralysis and, in severe cases, death, particularly among young children.
Shera-Lee Hambira
  • 20 Hours Ago

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Esperance Luvindao, on Monday officially launched the National Polio Vaccination Campaign at Katutura Health Centre, reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and future of Namibian children.

Speaking at the launch, Luvindao described the campaign as a decisive preventive intervention aimed at protecting the country’s hard-earned polio-free status, which Namibia has maintained since 2006.

“Today marks a significant moment in our collective responsibility to protect the health, well-being, and future of the Namibian child,” she said.

She attributed this achievement to strong political leadership, a dedicated health workforce, committed partners, and parents and caregivers who have consistently supported national immunisation programmes over the years.

However, she said that polio virus type 2 was detected on 13 November 2025 through routine environmental surveillance in a sewage sample collected at Ndama in Rundu, Kavango East Region.

“There is no confirmed case of polio in Namibia. This detection is an early warning signal, not a cause for alarm,” Luvindao emphasised.

She explained that environmental surveillance enables health authorities to respond early, preventing paralysis and stopping outbreaks before communities are affected.

The campaign targets all children under the age of 10, the group most vulnerable to infection and transmission. Many of these children were born after routine vaccination against polio virus type 2, creating an immunity gap that requires urgent action.

“This campaign uses the novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2, known as nOPV2, which is safe, effective and specifically developed for outbreak response,” she said.

The vaccination will be conducted in two rounds during January and February 2026, with teams deployed nationwide.