While it was supposed to be eradicated in 2018, polio is back on the Big Island. The vaccination campaign conducted since then has not achieved its objectives.

Religious, schools, etc..

Some parents did not want their children to be vaccinated. A doctor tells us that some groups of people, especially religious groups, "have been adamant about not vaccinating their children. They were able to influence people around them. As a result, the vaccination coverage rate is below 100%. But some schools have also "refused to receive us", deplore health workers.

That said, doctors from other health centers assure us that they have reached the objective. "Some parents did not want to have their children vaccinated at first. They were not convinced that this vaccine protects. Senior officials intervened to explain, and they changed their minds," says a health professional. The Ministry of Public Health's objective in this vaccination campaign (May 16-19) was to immunize children under 5 years old. As long as children are not vaccinated, polio will always be around.

The virus is present in Antananarivo

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has recorded 200 cases of polio since 2020. One of the latest cases discovered was located in the capital Antananarivo. Tests conducted in a canal that runs through the city confirmed the presence of the virus.

Polio was supposed to have been eliminated in Madagascar in 2018. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination coverage has dropped, and the paralyzing disease has resurfaced.