The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP), together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, launched the second round of Yemen’s polio vaccination campaign across 12 government-controlled governorates. Running from 29 September to 1 October 2025, the three-day campaign aims to immunize over 1.3 million children under the age of five against poliovirus.
This vaccination round follows the first nOPV2 campaign in July 2025 and is part of Yemen’s urgent response to the ongoing circulation of variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). As of week 38 of 2025, 29 confirmed cases of variant poliovirus type 2 were reported among 28 children in the north and one in the south. Since 2021, Yemen has recorded 451 cases, with 96% occurring in children under five. Environmental surveillance continues to detect poliovirus in sewage water, highlighting the necessity of repeated vaccination campaigns to interrupt virus transmission.
Dr. Syed Jaffer Hussain, WHO Representative in Yemen, emphasized the importance of this second round in closing immunity gaps and moving Yemen closer to stopping poliovirus transmission. The campaign is implemented by around 15,000 health workers through mobile door-to-door teams and fixed health facility sites, with nearly 1,000 supervisors from government and partner agencies overseeing the operation.
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Yemen, stressed that the campaign ensures even the most vulnerable children, including those in remote communities, receive protection from preventable diseases such as polio. WHO and UNICEF continue to support Yemen through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), focusing on eradicating polio and strengthening routine immunization to achieve full coverage and leave no child behind.
Since its establishment in 1948, WHO has led global efforts to promote health, expand universal health coverage, and coordinate responses to health emergencies, ensuring vulnerable populations worldwide have access to essential health services.
