The UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday launched a polio immunization campaign that will provide vaccinations to 3 million children and adults in central Africa, stated the agencies in a joint news release, UN officials said here.

The vaccination drive will begin on Friday in the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola, in response to a recent outbreak detected on Nov. 4, the officials said.

Polio is a contagious viral disease that affects the nerves and is transmitted through fecal contaminated food or water. The disease normally affects children under five, however, young adults between 15 and 29 constitute the majority of the cases in the recent outbreak.

According to the UN, a total of 226 people have been paralyzed and 97 people have died as a result of the outbreak.

Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF's regional director for west and central Africa, said the effort is focused on taming the spread of the outbreak.

"The overriding priority is to vaccinate all people to prevent more cases and deaths as quickly as possible. We are at a critical juncture and stopping polio in Africa requires our absolute commitment," he said.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet