Special polio vaccination in Oti Region targets 148,430 children under five

The Ghana Health Service is finalising preparations towards the vaccination of 148,430 children under five years in the Oti Region against poliomyelitis.

This follows the detection and confirmation of a case in the Nkwanta North District of the Region by the Ghana Health Service in November last year.

Dr Yaw Ofori-Yeboah, Deputy Director, Ghana Health Service, in charge of Public Health in the Volta and Oti regions at a media briefing in Ho on Monday, said all was set for the “special vaccination” scheduled to start on Wednesday, January 7th through to Saturday, January 11, 2020, in all the eight districts of the Oti Region.

He said all partners, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Red Cross, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ghana Health Service were ready and have provided all logistics for an effective campaign.

Mr Anthony Pani, Regional Coordinator, Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) said regional supervisors and vaccination teams had been trained and set for the kick-off of the campaign.

He said an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) had also been set up at Jasikan to coordinate activities for a successful exercise.

Madam Patricia Mawufemor Baku, Regional Health Promotion Officer said the team was carrying out social mobilisation in Oti Region to keep the people informed about the campaign.

She said they were using churches, mosques, community radios, community information centres, durbars and other social gatherings to reach the people.

Ghana is racing to return to its polio-free status after pockets of cases were recorded late last year in parts of the Northern, Greater Accra and Oti regions.

Similar exercises had been done in affected areas with success stories of exceeding targets.

The Ghana News Agency was told all suspected districts and communities would be covered in good time for Ghana to regain its polio-free status.