Rotary International assists Immunisation Days

Accra, Oct. 23, GNA-Rotary International, a humanitarian non-governmental orgainsation, on Thursday presented a cheque for 500,000 US Dollars to the Ministry of Health (MOH) towards this year's National Immunisation Day's activities.

Mr David Roper, Director of Rotary International, who presented the cheque said it was to fulfill their promise to help eradicate polio from the world.

He said Rotarians and their families were committed to the task and pledge to offer their assistance to ensure that the world was free from polio.

Mr Roper commended Ghana for the efforts made in recording zero cases of polio and nearing the certification process until six months ago, when six new imported cases of wild polio cases were reported and has set Ghana back.

Mr Roper said almost every family in Africa had encountered polio and there was the need for all and sundry to protect children from this virus by immunising them.

Mr Moses Dani-Baah, Deputy Minister of Health who received the cheque commended Rotary for the immense contributions made towards the eradication of polio since the onset of the programme.

He encouraged Rotarians and other partners not to be deterred by the new six imported cases which was supposed to set Ghana back and move on with the fight, "for there is success ahead of us", he added. The first round of the National Immunisation Day (NID) would begin on October 24-26 with the second round on December 5-7.

A target population of about 4.7 million children, under five years would be immunized throughout the country.