Organised by the Expanded Program on Immunisation at the Ministry of Health with support from World Health Organisation, the event seeks to reinforce the country's commitment to polio eradication, celebrating its polio-free certification in 2004.
The theme for this year’s event is - “End Polio, Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere.”
Welcoming the gathering, Musa Camara, regional Director Western Health 1 Region, expressed delight to be associated with the event marking -World Polio Day, a time dedicated to emphasising the importance of vaccines in the protection of children against poliomyelitis.
“As we commemorate this important day, let us reaffirm our commitment and collective, individual and collective commitment that no child should be deprived of their fundamental human rights; that is allowing them to have access to vaccines, polio vaccine, during their lifetime journey.”
Also speaking, Dr. Nathan Nsubuga Bakyaita country representative of the World Health Organisation, said the day is another opportunity to come together not only to celebrate the progress made, but also to renew their shared determination to finish the job by making sure that no child anywhere is left unprotected from a preventable disease.
Dr. Nathan spoke about the gains made by The Gambia, saying the country had not had any World Polio virus transmission since 2004, which he said, is a remarkable achievement in view of the work done by the government and partners, community leaders, health workers, parents and caregivers, who continue to open their doors for the vaccination teams and indeed bring their children for vaccination.
“We really salute you and thank you so much for the work that you've done. And also thank you for sponsoring this commemoration because Rotary's vision, commitment and advocacy have been instrumental in bringing the world to the edge of ending polio forever.”
The WHO Country rep reminded that as health workers interpersonal engagement and the compassion shown by the nurse is key in ensuring that they influence and encourage more people to continue the uptake of these effective vaccines.
The Gambia, he added, continues to demonstrate leadership in this fight, stating that in December 2024, they conducted a nationwide polio vaccination campaign and achieved an impressive 98% coverage.
“But as we know, a campaign will not do it alone. We have to continue with routine vaccination because just after you finish the campaign, another Gambian will have a baby and many more will have babies.”
To that end, he thanked all partners for their efforts and ensuring that every child, every vaccine everywhere is not just a theme, but a reality that people can pass on to their children.
Dawda Ndure, president of Rotary Club of Banjul, reiterated the club’s commitment to eradicate polio.
“Polio remains one of the most ambitious and impactful humanitarian initiatives in history. Through our global polio eradication initiative, a partnership primarily involving Rotary International, the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we continue to work tirelessly towards a polio-free world.”
He recalled that since the launch of the Polio Plus Program in 1985 by Rotary International, Rotary has contributed over 2.9 billion dollars and has helped protect more than 2.5 billion children from the polio virus.
“Through consistent fundraising, public awareness and campaigns and extensive vaccination drives, Rotary members worldwide have been at the forefront of the global fight for polio eradication.”
Dr. Momodou T. Nyassi, Director of Health Services at the ministry, described the day as another important reminder of their continuous struggle which has come in the global fight against polio and equally how steadfast they must remain until they reach out and make the world polio-free world.
“World Polio Day is observed each year to honour the tireless effort of health workers, governments and partners who have dedicated themselves to eradicating this debilitating disease. The Polio End Game Strategy 2022-2026, developed by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, outlined the road map to finally end all form of poliovirus transmission.”
Dr. Nyassi maintained that its vision is very clear and is to deliver a world free of all viruses through stronger immunisation systems, sensitive surveillance and rapid outbreak response.
He acknowledged that despite global progress, poliovirus remains a threat, noting that the emergence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in some countries serve as a reminder that until every child everywhere is protected, no child is truly safe.
“The Gambia story in the fight against polio is one of the commitment, resilience and sustained progress. Since the inception of the expanded program on immunization in 1979, the country has continuously offered oral polio vaccine for every eligible child. Through this sustained effort, supported by our partners and communities, the Gambia achieved and maintained a high immunization coverage and consistently met all surveillance performance indicators.”
He recalled that The Gambia was certified polio-free in 2004, a proud milestone in the country’s health history.
“However, our work did not end there. In line with the global eradication effort, the Gambia has not relented in maintaining regional proof-of-policy paralysis, surveillance and environmental surveillance.”
