Rwanda was declared polio-free in 2004 by the World Health Organization (WHO). As part of Africa's broader victory over the disease, this milestone was achieved through decades of comprehensive immunisation programmes and extensive awareness campaigns
However, despite this success, Rwanda has maintained its immunisation efforts, reflecting the country's proactive approach to public health, ensuring the virus never re-emerges and demonstrating its commitment to global eradication efforts.
The highly infectious viral disease that causes paralysis and even death, mainly affecting children, has no cure and can only be prevented through a vaccine.
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Rwanda's Ministry of Health, through Rwanda Biomedical Centre, joined the rest of the world on Thursday, October 24, to celebrate World Polio Day under the theme "One Day, One Focus: Ending Polio". The celebration aimed to raise awareness about the importance of sustained vaccination efforts, honour healthcare workers, and promote global collaboration against polio outbreaks.
As part of the event which took place at Gihara Health Center, in the Runda Sector, Kamonyi District, RBC administered polio vaccines to children under one year.
Kamonyi was particularly selected as the host district due to its polio vaccination coverage of below 90 per cent. This event sought to motivate residents to engage in vaccination campaigns, helping to stop polio transmission and work toward a polio-free world.
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The importance of continuous vaccination
Hassan Sibomana, the Director of the vaccine programmes unit at RBC, said that although Rwanda remains polio-free, stopping vaccination could expose the population to potential risks. He highlighted the impact of globalisation and cross-border movements, citing how examples of disease like COVID-19 spread rapidly across the world.
Polio still lingers in some parts of the world, notably in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, and outbreaks of vaccine-derived polioviruses have been recorded in areas with low vaccination coverage.
According to Sibomana, approximately 96 per cent of children in Rwanda received all the required childhood vaccines.
He noted: "Children who have not received any vaccine are at risk of contracting polio. This creates a gap that could allow diseases to emerge. The government has made every effort to ensure that all Rwandan residents receive vaccinations where needed. This should not be taken for granted. With the shift to digital systems, parents now receive instant notifications after their child's vaccination."
"Some parents forget to vaccinate their children due to the demands of daily life. While this is understandable, it should not be an excuse. There is no time limit for vaccinating a child, as the country has sufficient vaccine supplies."
Marie Josee Uwiringira, the Vice Mayor in charge of social welfare, explained that the polio vaccination coverage in Kamonyi District falling below 90 per cent could be attributed to several factors. Some children receive only part of the required doses before passing away, leaving incomplete records, she said. Such cases are often counted as unvaccinated due to a lack of accurate data. Additionally, she said, population movements between locations contribute to data inaccuracies.
Uwiringira also noted that some community members resist vaccination due to myths and beliefs. However, she said that when people are well-informed about the importance of vaccination, they fully participate in the programme.
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District authorities are intensifying awareness efforts to ensure that every child's right to healthcare is protected and no one is left behind, she said.
Ernestine Nzayisenga, one of the mothers who vaccinated her children at the event, noted that no parent should refuse vaccination. She admitted that vaccination not only protects children from various diseases but is also an opportunity to detect any serious health issues the parent might not have been aware of.
Rwanda received polio-free certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020. The last recorded case of wild poliovirus in the country was detected in 1993.
