Chad’s health minister launches nationwide polio vaccination drive with vitamin A and deworming supplements

On Thursday, Dr. Abdelmadjid Abderahim, Chad’s Minister of Public Health and Prevention, officially inaugurated a critical polio immunization campaign at the Atrone health center in N’Djamena’s 7th arrondissement. Running from June 5 to 7, 2026, the initiative combines polio vaccines with vitamin A supplementation and albendazole deworming for children across all 23 provinces.

Government and partners unite to safeguard children’s health

Amina Kodjienna, Chad’s Delegate General to N’Djamena, emphasized that this supplementary campaign reinforces ongoing efforts to protect the nation’s youngest citizens. She urged household heads to fully cooperate with health teams to ensure every eligible child receives the necessary immunizations.

A representative from Rotary International highlighted the organization’s long-standing commitment to polio eradication, calling on parents to support health workers in this vital mission.

UNICEF’s representative in Chad, Luciano Calestini, described polio as a devastating disease that demands a robust, collective response to eliminate it entirely. He reassured that international partners remain steadfast in their support to ensure children in Chad thrive.

Chad’s progress and remaining challenges

Dr. Abderahim revealed that Chad has maintained a zero-case streak for wild poliovirus since June 14, 2012, earning certification as a wild poliovirus-free country by the WHO’s Regional Certification Commission for Africa in 2016. Yet, he cautioned that circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses still pose risks, requiring unwavering vigilance and community-wide action.

The campaign targets:

• 6.4 million children aged 0–59 months for polio vaccination,
• 4.6 million children aged 6–59 months for vitamin A supplementation, and
• 4.2 million children aged 9–59 months for deworming with albendazole.

These efforts, the minister stressed, are investments in Chad’s future. Each vaccinated child is a step toward eradicating polio, every child given vitamin A is better equipped to grow strong, and every dewormed child has improved chances for physical and cognitive development.

Dr. Abderahim set an ambitious goal: achieving at least 95% coverage in every health district to consolidate gains from previous rounds and permanently halt vaccine-derived poliovirus circulation nationwide.

He praised the dedication of field teams, supervisors, local authorities, and communities following May’s successful campaign, noting that success hinges on collaboration. Protecting children’s health, he emphasized, is a shared responsibility—one that involves families, communities, local leaders, partners, and citizens alike.

A collective effort to protect chadian children

In closing, the Minister of Public Health expressed the government’s deep gratitude to technical and financial partners, including the WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, Rotary International, and Nutrition International, for their relentless support in combating vaccine-preventable diseases. He also extended heartfelt thanks to the health agents, supervisors, vaccinators, social mobilizers, volunteers, and community leaders whose tireless work makes such campaigns possible.