Health ministry steps up polio response in Kavango East

The Ministry of Health and Social Services has intensified its national polio vaccination campaign after poliovirus type 2 was detected in environmental surveillance samples in the Kavango East region late last year.

The virus was identified on 13 November 2025 in a sewage sample collected at Ndama, Rundu, during routine environmental monitoring. Health authorities have stressed that no clinical polio cases have been reported in Namibia.

Health ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya says the detection should not cause panic but it requires swift action to protect children.

“There is no case yet,” Kamaya says. “This was detected through our normal routine environmental surveillance. As a precautionary measure, all children under the age of 10 should receive the polio vaccine, even if they have already been immunised.”

Following the detection, the ministry launched a ‘round zero’ vaccination campaign in the Kavango East region in December 2025 to sensitise communities and secure regional leadership support.

A nationwide vaccination campaign is scheduled to run from 26 to 29 January, followed by a second national round from 24 to 27 February.

Kamaya says the campaign targets children under the age of 10 as they are most vulnerable to infection.

“The immune systems of young children need to be strengthened. Polio spreads faster among younger age groups, which is why they are prioritised,” he adds.

Polio is transmitted through contact with the stool of an infected person, or through contaminated hands, food or water.

Kamaya urges parents and caregivers to maintain strict hygiene practices.

“People must ensure that food is clean, water is clean and hands are washed properly. Hygiene remains a key defence,” he says.The ministry plans to conduct vaccinations house-to-house, at markets and at health facilities, including in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

“This is not our first time doing this,” Kamaya says. “We have successfully conducted similar campaigns before. Teams will be deployed village by village, supported by community members and vehicles.”

The campaign is being implemented in collaboration with partners, including the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation.

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