Over One Million Yemeni Children to Be Protected: National Polio Vaccination Campaign Set to Launch
The Ministry of Public Health and Population is preparing to launch a nationwide polio immunization campaign from July 12 to 14, targeting more than 1,345,000 children under the age of five across the liberated provinces.
Health Minister Dr. Qassem Buhaibeh confirmed that the ministry has completed all technical and administrative preparations to ensure vaccines reach every eligible child. The campaign will be carried out by 6,924 fixed and mobile health teams, comprising over 13,000 healthcare workers, and supervised by 1,948 field coordinators and 2,400 district-level supervisors.
Vaccination teams are scheduled to visit more than one million households (1,029,674) to ensure that no child is left behind, including those in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Dr. Buhaibeh emphasized that this campaign is a top national priority to protect Yemen's children from the threat of polio—a serious viral disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. He called on all members of society to support and contribute to the campaign's success.
He also stressed the critical role of community awareness in building public trust in vaccines, noting that disseminating accurate health information helps correct misconceptions and encourages families to vaccinate their children, thereby protecting them from preventable diseases.
The minister urged community leaders, teachers, mosque preachers, and media professionals to actively engage in raising awareness and assisting vaccination teams in reaching children, underscoring that prevention starts with immunization and that there is no room for complacency when it comes to safeguarding future generations.
Dr. Buhaibeh added that the ministry is working to provide vaccines that meet the highest quality standards, strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers, and maintain a secure cold chain, in coordination with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other health sector partners to ensure the campaign is implemented effectively.
