Jigjiga. 13 June 2014 – Synchronized polio supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) were launched on 13 June 2014 in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti to accelerate progress to end polio in the Horn of Africa. The synchronized SIAs are an outcome of the Horn of Africa Countries Synchronized Cross-Border Polio Outbreak Preparedness and Response Meeting in Jijgiga, 21-23 May 2014, where Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti agreed to strengthen cross-border collaboration to kick polio out of the Horn of Africa and to conduct the first synchronized SIAs in June 2014. 

The first simultaneous polio immunization activity in the Horn of Africa, running from 14 to 18 June, was launched in the border town of Togwajale in Somali Regional State, Ethiopia, in a high-level event attended by Dr Kebede Worku, State Minister of Health, Mr Abdufatah Mohammed Hassen, Vice President of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State and Head of the Somali Regional Health Bureau, Mr Ali Abdullahi, Governor of Somaliland, Mr Muhyadin Abdi, Mayor of Togwajale, Dr Pierre M’Pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, and Dr Samuel Okiror, WHO Horn of Africa Polio Coordinator. 

"Cross-border points are potential threats that carry high risk of importation of wild polio virus across the border fueled by the mobile nature of the pastoralist community," said Mr Abdufatah Mohammed Hassen, Vice President of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State and Head of the Somali Regional Health Bureau. "For this reason having cross-border vaccination posts and synchronized immunization events will have an enormous impact in achieving interruption of the transmission of polio." Dr Kebede Worku, State Minister of Health, highlighted that this first synchronized SIAs in the Horn of Africa presents an important milestone in the strengthened polio eradication efforts in the neighboring countries and that the Federal Ministry of Health is committed in all aspects to ensure the interruption of the transmission of the wild polio virus. 

Dr M’Pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative, congratulated on behalf of all EPI partners, the efforts and achievements of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Somali Regional Government. "The event today is the result of the commitment made by the countries in May to strengthen cross-border collaboration to end polio in the Horn of Africa." Since the beginning of the outbreak, the Federal Ministry of Health has been supported by WHO, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, CDC, CORE GROUP, DFID, GAVI Alliance and Rotary to conduct two rounds of national immunization days (NIDs), as well as several sub-national supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) to ensure fast and aggressive interruption of wild polio virus transmission in Ethiopia.

For more information, please contact Dr Fiona Braka, Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Cluster Coordinator, WHO Ethiopia; email:  brakaf [at] who.int