The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched a new oral polio vaccination campaign in the Ashanti Region in response to the detection of a Circulating Virus Derived Polio Type 2 strain.

This initiative comes after the identification of the new strain in the New Juabeng Municipality of the Eastern Region in September, which has been genetically linked to a similar type 2 strain found in Algeria.

Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, made the announcement in Kumasi, emphasising the urgency of the vaccination exercise.

He expressed concern that despite Ghana's significant achievements in controlling wild strains of polio, the emergence of this new strain poses a serious threat to the nation's polio eradication efforts.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng warned that low vaccine uptake and inadequate sanitation practices in communities could hinder progress and lead to a resurgence of polio.

He urged parents and guardians to ensure their children receive the vaccination to protect them from this potentially debilitating disease.

The GHS is committed to conducting this vaccination campaign vigorously, targeting a total of 1.4 million children in the Ashanti Region.

The health authority hopes that by increasing vaccine coverage, they can effectively prevent the spread of the new polio strain and safeguard public health.

“The sequencing results indicates the virus is genetically linked to virus isolates in Algeria. Typically, if it was in Algeria and it’s in Ghana, it means if it’s in the Eastern Region, all children in the country are at risk,” he cautioned.