WHO and UNICEF Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign in Yemen

WHO and UNICEF Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign in Yemen
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A new polio vaccination campaign targeting over 1.3 million children has commenced this week in areas controlled by the Government of Yemen, Reliefweb.int reported. The three-day campaign, running from July 12 to July 14, 2025, aims to boost immunity and prevent the further spread of poliovirus by administering the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) across 120 districts in 12 governorates.

This intervention responds to ongoing cases and confirmed circulation of the variant type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) detected in environmental samples. Since 2021, Yemen has reported 282 cases of cVDPV2, predominantly affecting children under five years old, highlighting the urgent need for vaccination to halt virus transmission.

The campaign is led by Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Nearly 7,000 vaccination teams, including over 6,000 mobile door-to-door teams and 800 facility-based teams, are conducting the campaign. Approximately 2,000 team supervisors and 240 district-level supervisors oversee the effort, with technical assistance from national and international partners.