Polio immunization campaign held in Wau

29 Oct 2009

Polio immunization campaign held in Wau

In a bid to eradicate polio from Northern and Western Bahr El-Ghazal states, thousands of children in the region were given immunization drops on 27 October.

Conducted under the slogan "Give two drops today, keep polio away", the two-day campaign targeted over 520,000 children younger than five years.
"The campaign aims to reach every child under five years of age in both of these two states, including hard-to-reach ... and high-risk areas," said Dr. Damtew Dagoye, medical officer of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Expanded Programme of Immunization.
During the launching ceremony in a large open area on Wau's outskirts, Dr. Dagoye explained that they had carried out detailed planning, pre-campaign advocacy, mobilization for public awareness and logistic coordination to reach children throughout Western and Northern Bahr El-Ghazal states.
Also addressing the gathering, Acting Governor of Western Bahr El-Ghazal Awad Juma Aman urged the community to bring their children for immunization.
"Let us protect our children from polio by vaccinating them today to keep their future," he said.
This year alone, 40 confirmed cases of wild polio had been reported in Southern Sudan and Western Bahr El-Ghazal was the only polio-free state, noted WHO's medical officer.
Dr. Dagoye added that children in Southern Sudan were particularly vulnerable as only one-fifth of them received routine immunization against childhood diseases.
The campaign wasorganized by the two states' ministries of health, in close collaboration with the United Nations' WHO, UNICEF, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Rotary International.
UNMIS provided transportation of vaccines and personnel to isolated areas like Timsah, Kitkit and Firga in Western Bahr El-Ghazal State through special flights.