From tomorrow 9 to 12 July 2026, Cameroon will conduct the second round of its National Immunization Days against poliomyelitis across six regions.
The campaign aims to boost immunity among children under five, interrupt any remaining transmission of the virus and maintain the country’s progress toward polio eradication.
Ahead of the rollout, the Ministry of Public Health, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and the World Health Organization are training 132 LQAS surveyors to independently assess the quality and reach of the campaign.
Cameroon is entering another crucial phase in its effort to eliminate poliomyelitis, with the second round of the 2026 National Immunization Days scheduled to take place from 9 to 12 July. Led by the Ministry of Public Health through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, the campaign will be implemented in six regions: Adamawa, Centre, East, Far North, Littoral and North.
The operation will cover 132 health districts, where vaccination teams will travel from house to house and set up fixed and temporary vaccination posts to reach as many eligible children as possible. The campaign targets children under five years of age, the population most vulnerable to poliovirus infection. By ensuring that every eligible child receives oral polio vaccine, health authorities aim to strengthen population immunity, prevent outbreaks and move the country closer to the complete interruption of poliovirus transmission.
A preventive effort to protect every child
Although remarkable progress has been made in reducing polio cases worldwide, health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining high vaccination coverage remains essential. Any immunity gaps can leave communities vulnerable to the re-emergence or circulation of vaccine-derived polioviruses, making periodic immunization campaigns a critical component of disease prevention.
During the four-day exercise, vaccination teams will work across urban centers, rural communities and hard-to-reach areas to ensure that no eligible child is missed. Parents and caregivers are being encouraged to welcome vaccinators and present all children under five for immunization, regardless of their previous vaccination status. Repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine are safe and help reinforce children’s protection against the disease.
Surveyors trained to strengthen campaign quality
Preparations for the campaign have intensified well before the first vaccine is administered. One of the key activities currently underway is the training of 132 Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) surveyors across the six participating regions.
Organized by the Ministry of Public Health, the Expanded Program on Immunization and the World Health Organization, the training equips surveyors with the skills needed to independently assess the quality of the vaccination exercise after implementation. Using the LQAS methodology, they will verify whether vaccination teams have successfully reached the required proportion of eligible children within each health district.
The findings will help identify areas where additional vaccination activities may be needed, while also providing evidence to improve future immunization campaigns. By investing in both vaccination and rigorous quality monitoring, Cameroon is reinforcing its commitment to protecting children from a disease that remains preventable through immunization. As thousands of frontline health workers prepare to deploy across the six regions, authorities hope the July campaign will bring the country another step closer to a future free from poliomyelitis.
