Tema Health Directorate to immunize 74,332 children against Polio

Tema, March 5, GNA - The Tema Health Directorate has targeted about 74,3= 32 children, aged below five years, to be immunized against Polio, during th= e first phase of this year's nationwide Polio Immunization Campaign. The first of the four rounds campaign would start on Friday, March 5 and=

end on Sunday March 7.

Mr Aguday Sika-Nartey, Tema Metropolitan Disease Control Officer, told t= he Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday that the targeted number co= uld be more. Mr Sika-Nartey explained that the number reflected the highest numbe= r of children immunized during the four rounds campaign in 2009. He said in February 2009, 61,623 children received the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Vitamin A, while 74,332 were given the OPV in March. A total of 74,216 and 72,581 were immunized against Polio in May and=

November last year, respectively.

Mr Sika-Nartey said during the November campaign, children were not only immunized against Polio, but they also received Vitamin A drops and de-wormers. He attributed the decrease in the number of children covered in the Metropolis during the May and November rounds to missed opportunities, un= der reporting and children from the Metropolis receiving the vaccine in other=

districts due to school or travelling.

Mr Sika-Nartey said just like 2009, an estimated amount of GH¢23,1= 16 would be spent on the implementation of the Polio Eradication Programme i= n the Metropolis.

The Directorate, he said, has trained 620 volunteers who would wear t-shirts and yellow aprons having the inscription vaccinator. They would visit houses to administer the OPV to children aged between zero and 59 months. He said a pair of volunteers each was expected to immunize 80 childr= en in a day and 240 children by the end of the three-day campaign. A total of 54 supervisors and eight sub-districts co-ordinators woul= d also be involved in the polio eradication programme in the metropolis, Mr=

Sika-Nartey added. He mentioned Appollonia, Kpone, Manhean, Oyibi and Tema as the areas= to be covered by the Directorate. Mr Sika-Nartey appealed to parents and guardians to allow their children to be immunized against the disease, since that was the only way= of preventing its spread. He said the acute viral disease, which spreads from human to human through contaminated food or water, could cripple the child for life or e= ven lead to death as it has no cure.

Mr Sika-Nartey said immunizing the children periodically was the sure= st way of protecting them and ensuring that the country maintained her Polio-free status.

He said all children below the age of 15 who suffered from Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP), which is any condition that prevents a child fro= m walking, is being investigated to ascertain if it was a Polio infection.