Accra kick-starts measles-rubella free vaccination
The Greater Accra Regional Health Administration has launched measles-rubella vaccination campaign with the object of encouraging parents to avail children of nine months to 14 years old to be vaccinated for free.
Parents are therefore advised to consider the campaign as a collective one that calls for multiple approaches to get others into accessing more immunization services and combating the disease.
Dr Linda Vanotoo, Regional Director of Health Services, on Wednesday said at the launch that, measles-rubella is a vaccination preventable disease that has serious complications and needed keen attention.
She said if the diseases were not prevented, one could develop hearing difficulty, sight problems, chest infections, nose defections, and stunted growth or in severe cases death.
Dr Vanotoo urged parents and guardians to take the ten days exercise slated for September 11 to 20 serious by making sure children within the nine months to 14 years bracket were taken through the vaccination exercise.
She said Ghana had made strides by not recording any measles-related child death over the last 10 years hence the need for stakeholders to consolidate the success by embracing the exercise.
She cautioned parents, who use concoctions of “Akpeteshie” (local liquor) in an attempt to treat measles, saying “resources, personnel, logistics and the right medicines are available for the prevention and treatment of the disease.”
She said Ghana was on the verge of eliminating polio and Guinea worm diseases, and announced that a cash reward of GH¢200 had been instituted for those who identify and report polio-infected persons.
Mr Franklin Anku, Municipal Chief Executive of La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality told parents to work together to fight the measles-rubella disease killing innocent children over the years.
Mr Anku, while advising parents to observe environmental cleanliness, pledged the Assembly’s commitment to play a leading role in the campaign and to bring better health services to the people of the area.
The nurses performed a drama to highlight the symptoms of rubella and measles as well as emphasizing the need for parents to sacrifice time and resources for better healthcare of their children.
The launch was anchored by the theme: “Prevent Measles and Rubella; Vaccinate Now.”
Source: GNA