Over 35,000 children immunised against poliomyelitis

Obuasi, Nov. 28, GNA 96 A total of 35,314 children between nine and 59 months were immunised against poliomyelitis during the recent National Integrated Child Health Campaign within Obuasi Municipality. The figure represented 89.2 per cent of the targeted figure of 39,593 children.

A total of 28,715 children representing 85.3 per cent of the targeted 33,654 children were immunised against measles. Mr Nathaniel Kodi Nii-Korley, Obuasi Municipal Community Health Technical Officer, told the Ghana News Agency at Obuasi that 32,520 children representing 91.3 per cent of the targeted 35,634 children were administered with Vitamin 91A' Supplement.

He announced that a total of 14,308 children under, two years were supplied with insecticide treated bed nets as part of the immunisation programme to control malaria infection among children. Mr Nii-Korley, however, observed that distribution of the free bed nets created problems for the immunisation team leaders and the supervisors as mothers with children above 24 to 59 months did not understand the reason why their children should be excluded in the distribution.

He explained that they could have achieved higher results if the exercise had been carried out from house-to-house as in the past. Miss Afua Dansoa Sefa, a Senior Nursing Officer (Public Health), appealed to stakeholders in health to include all target groups in the distribution of free bed nets in future.

She suggested that the next measles immunisation exercise should be extended to cover children up to 15 years since adults were being infected.

Miss Sefa emphasised the importance of immunisation and appealed to organisations and individuals, especially parents to support the exercise in future.

She pointed out that as a result of the National Immunisation Days (NIDs), cases of measles and poliomyelitis among children had reduced at the health facilities.

Miss Sefa advised the public to keep their environment clean to prevent diseases and urged mothers to feed their children with food containing Vitamin 91A' to enhance their growth and prevent diseases. The campaign was aimed at reducing under-five mortality rate by two-thirds by the year 2015.