Nairobi — The national Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign has reached 1.6 million people, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.
MoH officers immunized 1,699,759 people during the 10-day OCV campaign mounted from 3 August to 12 August, with a focus on eight high-risk regions where outbreaks of the disease have occasionally been reported.
MoH noted the figure surpassed the original target of 1,590,378 resulting in a coverage 104.5 percent.
"The Cholera campaign was launched in response to the pressing need to curb ongoing outbreaks that have infected 12,079 people with 200 fatalities in 27 counties," the ministry explained.
"The selection of these counties was strategic, based on their ongoing or pronounced cholera outbreaks since October 2022," MoH added.
The ministry noted that the figure reported in the August campaign further secures gains made in an earlier campaign in February that reached 2,033,999 individuals, achieving a coverage rate of 99.2 per cent against a target of 2,050,484.
MoH said it will continue with the vaccination campaign throughout 2024 while noting that Kenya has finalized the National Multisectoral Cholera Elimination Plan towards ending the disease by 2030.
Multisectoral approach
Afya House further noted that a separate anti-polio campaign, initiated in four counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, Garissa, and Kajiado led to the immunization of 1,957,476 children under the age of five, achieving a coverage rate of 104.2 per cent.
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Two rounds of Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) are scheduled for September, October and November.
"Counties including Lamu, Wajir, Tana River. Machakos, Mandera and Kitui. A total of over 2.8 million children under the age of five are targeted in both rounds."
On August 22, the government launched a National Polio Vaccination Drive targeting 7.4 million children to prevent resurgence in the country.
The initiative conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Kenya, World Health Organization (WHO) and other health partners marked the first phase that saw 2.5 million doses administered in Nairobi, Kiambu, Garissa, and Kajiado Counties from 24th to 28th August 2023.
"As a ministry, we have spearheaded this fight against polio with unwavering commitment. It's vital to acknowledge the role immunization has played in our progress," said the Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni.
"This cost-effective public health intervention has been instrumental in driving down polio cases and creating a safer environment for our children."
