The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is intensifying its nationwide efforts to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases, launching coordinated vaccination campaigns targeting polio, measles, and rubella across multiple provinces. As of April 2026, health authorities and international partners are working to reach millions of children under the age of 15, with a particular focus on areas affected by insecurity and low immunization coverage. These efforts are part of the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which aims to strengthen herd immunity and reduce mortality linked to these highly contagious viral infections.
In the Tshopo province, a dual campaign was launched on April 21, 2026, covering all 23 health zones. According to local health officials, more than 92,000 children aged 0 to 59 months are targeted for polio vaccination, while over 2 million children aged 6 to 14 years are set to receive vaccines against measles and rubella. Authorities have called on parents to become “ambassadors” of the campaign by encouraging neighbors to vaccinate their children and ensuring they attend vaccination sites.
In Ituri, where insecurity continues to disrupt health services, nearly 1.5 million children are expected to receive polio vaccinations through door-to-door outreach over three days. Health teams are operating in violence-affected areas such as Djugu and Mambasa, and are including displaced children in the vaccination drive. The provincial governor has urged families to welcome vaccinators to protect children from poliomyelitis, a disease that can cause irreversible paralysis.
In North Kivu, the campaign was officially launched on April 22, 2026, at the Nyamwisi roundabout in Beni, the temporary provincial capital. Over 3 million children aged 0 to 59 months are targeted across the province’s 34 health zones. Officials emphasized the importance of community collaboration in reaching every child, particularly in hard-to-access areas.
Meanwhile, in Kwilu province, the provincial Minister of Health, Robert Dinsodi, launched an integrated vaccination campaign on April 21, 2026, in Kikwit. The initiative targets all children aged 0 to 14 years against measles, rubella, and polio. The campaign, scheduled to run from April 21 to 26, 2026, was launched in the presence of political, administrative, security, health, and education officials, as well as civil society leaders and technical partners. The minister highlighted that the campaign reflects the national vision of ensuring every child’s right to health through equitable access to quality vaccines.
These provincial efforts align with a broader national initiative announced earlier in April 2026, in which the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) launched a campaign from April 15 to 19, 2026, across eleven provinces: Kinshasa, Kongo-Central, Kwilu, Kwango, Mai-Ndombe, Tshuapa, Équateur, Tshopo, Mongala, Nord-Ubangi, and Sud-Ubangi. The campaign aimed to vaccinate children aged 6 months to 14 years with the measles-rubella vaccine, while children aged 0 to 59 months received the oral polio vaccine. Health workers used a door-to-door and fixed-site strategy to reach children in neighborhoods, villages, schools, markets, and places of worship.
Officials cited a rise in measles and rubella cases since January 2026 as a key motivator for the campaign, noting that over 12,000 cases and 157 deaths had been recorded nationwide. Malnourished children are particularly at risk of severe complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis. The vaccination drive is seen as critical to closing immunity gaps caused by low routine coverage, delayed follow-up campaigns, and weak outbreak response.
In the Haut-Uele province, digital tools are being used to strengthen the polio response, including real-time data tracking and community engagement platforms. Health workers are using mobile applications to monitor vaccination coverage, identify missed children, and improve coordination between teams. This technological integration supports faster decision-making and more accurate reporting during outbreaks.
As the campaigns continue, health authorities stress the importance of sustained community engagement, adequate funding, and secure access to all regions. The success of these efforts depends on maintaining cold chain integrity, training vaccinators, and countering misinformation that may deter participation.
The next phase of the DRC’s immunization strategy will involve assessing campaign coverage data and planning follow-up activities to ensure long-term protection. Official updates from the Ministry of Health and the Expanded Programme on Immunization are expected in the coming weeks.
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