Photo: Gates Foundation

Child receiving oral polio vaccine.

Kenya has been declared free from polio.

Some 5.7 million children aged five years and below were vaccinated against the crippling disease during the fourth round of an emergency campaign carried out in 129 high-risk districts last month, Public Health and Sanitation minister Beth Mugo said on Tuesday.

"During this campaign, officials from my ministry were targeting to immunise 4.5 million children in Nairobi and other high-risk districts."

The target was, however, surpassed after 5,739,776 children were vaccinated.

Tested positive

The emergency immunisation campaign--which was conducted in four phases between September and December last year--was done after the ministry confirmed on August 25 that a three year-old boy had tested positive for wild polio virus type 1 in Kamagambo, Rongo District of Nyanza province.

Mrs Mugo said that before the outbreak was detected, no case of polio had been reported in Kenya in the last 22 years.

Polio is a contagious viral disease that affects nerves and leads to partial or full paralysis of limbs.

Experts say the virus is spread by direct contact with infected mucus or phlegm from the nose or mouth, or contact with infected faeces.

Mrs Mugo assured the public that officials from her ministry and other partners would continue to strengthen polio prevention and control efforts by carrying out surveillance especially in border entry areas.

Giving a breakdown of the immunisation coverage, the minister said: "The initial two rounds were conducted in 32 districts in Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces which are in close proximity to Rongo district.

"During round one, 922,566 children below the age of five were targeted for immunisation."