W/R: EKMA Targets Over 39,000 Children in Second Polio Vaccination Campaign
The Effia Kwesimitsim Health Service is set to vaccinate 39,685 children under the age of five in the second round of its Polio Vaccination Campaign in the Effia Kwesimintsim Municipality. The five-day exercise, scheduled to run from November 20 to 24, 2024, aims to eradicate polio in the municipality.
Public health nurses will administer two doses of oral polio vaccines (OPVs) to each child. Healthcare workers will visit preschools, homes, markets, churches, and mosques to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.
The campaign, themed “Help Kick Polio Out of Ghana,” is supported by the Ministry of Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Rotary Foundation.
At a press conference, Effia Kwesimintsim’s Director of Health, Mrs. Joyce Begina Sutherland urged parents to support the initiative by allowing their children to be vaccinated. She emphasized the importance of involving schools, particularly private institutions, in spreading awareness about the campaign.
“We are appealing to all parents to cooperate with our health workers to vaccinate their children. Vaccination is the only way to ensure their safety from polio,” Madam Begina stated.
She also highlighted the success of the first phase of the campaign, where the Directorate achieved its vaccination targets. “This achievement shows that we can protect our children when we work together as a community,” she added.
The Director of Health, Mrs. Joyce Begina Sutherland has called on teachers to inform parents about the campaign and encourage them to participate actively.
This initiative forms part of Ghana’s broader strategy to eliminate polio, a highly infectious disease
