Health News of Thursday, 1 September 2022
Source: Abubakari Sadiq Righteous
2022-09-01GHS North East Regional Directorate commences polio immunisation campaign
Dr. Abdulai Abukari, North East Regional Director of GHS
The North East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has commenced Polio Immunization in the region as part of the polio national immunization campaign activities.
This was made known by the North East Regional Health Director, Dr. Abdulai Abukari at a stakeholder engagement in Nalerigu.
In his address, Dr. Abdulai said polio
Read full articleImmunization in the region will commence on Thursday, September 1, 2022, and will end on Sunday, September 4, 2022.
According to the North East Regional Health Director, the main objective of the campaign is to stop transmission of the Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type2 (cVDPV2).
He observed Ghana alongside its neighbors, has had challenges with Vaccine Derived Poliovirus Type 2 (cVDPV2) cases in recent past and a typical example was the detection of a case in 2019 in the Chereponi District.
Mr. Abdulai Abukari noted that the oral polio vaccine is safe and effective at protecting children against lifelong polio paralysis. Adding the vaccination campaign specifically aims at raising the population's immunity against poliovirus type 2 and breaking transmission of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type2.
The campaign in North East Region according to Dr. Abdulai has a target of 120,108 children from birth to five years old
He also indicated that there will be a Second Round slated from October 6 to 9, 2022.
"In all Mr. Chairman, we have recruited and trained 231 teams including vaccinators and volunteers and 94 supervisors at different levels to undertake these four days exercise across the entire region. The Vaccines and other logistics have been moved to all our districts and all is set for the campaign. The strategy adopted to get all eligible children immunised is house to house from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day," Dr. Abdulai noted.
The North East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service added the polio vaccine is effective, safe, and free and admonished caregivers to continue to attend child welfare clinics for weighing regularly after the campaign.
Polio causes paralysis and sometimes death. It is against this backdrop that the GHS is admonishing caregivers to protect children, and get them vaccinated.
