DCE urges parents to immunise children against polio

Keta (V/R), Nov. 25, GNA - The newly appointed Keta District Chief Executive, Mr. Edward Kofi Ahiabor, has urged parents and guardians to ensure that their children were immunised against poliomyelitis. Mr. Ahiabor, who personally took part in the vaccination of children under five years of age at the Anlo State School at Keta in the Volta Region on Wednesday noted that polio could pose a serious threat to national development if not prevented.

He urged all parents and guardians to prevent their children from being infected by the virus by taking them regularly to the nearest post for the immunisation.

The Medical Director of Health Services, Dr. Emmanuel Senyo Kasu told the Ghana News Agency that during the last immunisation exercise, the 100 per cent target set for the National Immunisation Days (NIDs) had been achieved.

He advised all children to maintain personal and environmental hygiene by washing their hands regularly before eating, drinking clean water and not to eat contaminated foods.

"By so doing,", he said, "The poliomyelitis can be eradicated completely from our midst and the huge money used for this exercise can be diverted into viable economic projects to benefit society," he emphasised.

The Senior Community Health Nurse at the Keta District Health Directorate, Ms Bertha Ahlidza, disclosed that about 150 - 200 children receive vaccination at each post daily.

She estimated that by the end of the stipulated three days immunisation exercise, about 27,000 children would have been immunised against the deadly virus.

The supervisor of the NIDs programme in the District, Mr. Joseph Dzededzi intimated that so far the polio immunisation exercise had been going on smoothly at all the 15 posts in the District.