Health authorities in Malawi vaccinated approximately 1.3 million children in four days in the southern region, following the detection of a new case of polio in late January 2026, the first since 2022.
The campaign, conducted with the new type 2 oral polio vaccine (nOPV2), was carried out in Malawi in accordance with the recommendations of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Charles Chilambula, said nearly 97% of targeted children were vaccinated in eight districts of the Southern Region, including Blantyre, which achieved 107% coverage. Catch-up vaccination is planned for 42,000 children who did not receive their dose during the first phase.
The country received 1.7 million doses of the vaccine on February 10, 2026, which were quickly deployed to vaccination sites. Two more national rounds are planned for later this year.
