National polio vaccination starts
ZANIS — Government has launched the first round of the Polio vaccination campaign in Lusaka’s Chawama Township aimed at boosting the country’s immunity following the recently recorded polio case in neighbouring Malawi.
Speaking at the launch, Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata said government is committed to ensuring that resources are available to immunize all children under the age of five against polio .
Mr Mulyata disclosed that door to door vaccination exercises will be conducted, in addition to the usual services provided at health centres.
She said the first round of the campaign is being conducted in Lusaka, Eastern and Muchinga provinces, targeting One Million and Two hundred Children and will later be extended to the rest of the country targeting over three million and five hundred children.
“The first round of this campaign will be conducted in three provinces namely; Eastern province, Lusaka province and Muchinga province. And we are targeting approximately 1.2 million children. The rest of the rounds which will be conducted at least four weeks apart will cover the whole country and target over 3.5 children,” she said.
At the same occasion the UNICEF country representative disclosed that 5.9m polio vaccines have been procured and delivered to the Ministry of Health to cover the first two rounds of the vaccination.
And a Resident of Chawama, Gregory Mutale, who brought his child for the polio vaccination appreciated the campaign and called on fellow parents to ensure that they take their children for the polio vaccine to protect them.
ZANIS reports that various partner organizations including the World Health Organization, the Melinda and Bill Gates foundation, the Rotary club, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia and others joined in the launch of the Polio campaign in Lusaka’s Chawama Township.