Japanese Government to support this year's immunisation day

Accra (Greater Accra) 28 July '99

The Japanese government on Tuesday signed an agreement for 1.7 million dollars grant with the United Nations Children's Fund to support this year's project for the eradication of polio in the country.

The grant will enable UNICEF to procure 10 million doses of polio vaccines and equipment for the National Immunisation Days (NID) in November and December, and to monitor and facilitate the use of the vaccines.

Mr Shosuke Ito, Japanese Ambassador in Ghana, said this year's grant is also to equip Ghana with an expanded cold chain and a national cold room.

He said the 1995 UNICEF report on the State of the World's Children stated that thousands of children who were infected by the polio virus in 1990 had their neurons serving the muscles destroyed, thereby making them unable to function normally.

In many cases, permanent paralysis was the result, he said, adding that this is why his government is helping to fight this dreadful disease.

Mr Johannes Wedenig, officer in charge of UNICEF, said the support would protect 3.8 million children from polio, thus making Ghana closer to her goal of eradicating polio by the year 2000.

He said to improve the long-term sustainability of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), funds have been allocated for the replacement of the central refrigerator in the cold room.

Mr Wedenig said all the regions and districts will also get CFC-free refrigerators and freezers to make Ghana progress towards meeting global environmental requirements.

Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, Minister of health, said the ministry will this year improve acute flaccid paralysis surveillance coverage and vaccinate every single child from zero to five years, especially in areas where children are at risk.

He said this year's launching of the NID would be held at Ashaiman on the November three.