Health authorities are launching a mass polio vaccination campaign across the country with plans to coordinate efforts with neighbouring nations.
Officials have revealed that the polio cases identified in the Eastern Region are linked to a strain circulating in Algeria although the virus’s source remains unknown.
On September 19, the Ministry of Health declared a public health emergency after detecting a circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus in a river in Koforidua.
In response, authorities have heightened surveillance to trace the virus, conducting both environmental and human monitoring, especially among children with acute paralysis.
The polio vaccination campaign aims to reach approximately 5.5 million children under five within the next three weeks.
It will take place in two rounds, with the second phase synchronized with neighbouring countries to curb the virus’s regional transmission.
Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Programme Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization, emphasized the urgency of treating the situation as an outbreak, despite the unknown source of the virus.
He stated that the first round of vaccinations is expected to start by mid-October, likely around the 17th, with a second round planned for November.
He added that the second round will align with similar campaigns in other countries, as the virus has crossed international borders, linking Ghana’s cases to the strain in Algeria and Nigeria.
Development partners are already facilitating vaccine procurement, and the vaccines are expected to arrive by the end of the week. Meanwhile, routine immunization against childhood diseases continues at health centers across the country.