Ghana succeeding in polio eradication – Health official
Ghana has made significant strides in the eradication of poliomyelitis, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, Director of Public Health at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Health Directorate, said on Friday.
He said for the past ten years, no case of poliomyelitis has been recorded in the country and this he attributed to the poliomyelitis eradication initiative, which started in the country in 1998, and is being spearheaded by WHO, UNICEF and the Rotary Club International.
Dr Tenkorang was speaking to newsmen at Benue Nkwanta after he conducted Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, round some basic schools in the Sunyani Municipality where the national poliomyelitis vaccination exercise was being conducted.
He explained that before the national poliomyelitis vaccination exercise was introduced in 1998, the country had been recording 1,000 cases of the disease annually but the introduction of the exercise had contributed to the drastic reduction of 98 per cent of the incidence.
Dr Tenkorang said because poliomyelitis cases were alarming in countries like Nigeria, there was the need for Ghana to put in place measures such as the annual vaccination exercise to guard against any unforeseen contingency.
He explained that 5,000 children were expected to be vaccinated in the Region during the three-day exercise adding that the second phase would begin in October, and entreated the media to publicize it.
Mr Adjei said the vaccination exercise was important and advised parents to ensure that their children between zero to five years were vaccinated.
He also appealed to parents to team up with teachers in ensuring the proper upbringing and development of their children.
Mr Adjei said the younger generation could grow to become responsible adults depending on the quality of education prevailing in the country.
This, he said, explains why parents should endeavour to provide their children with basic educational needs to augment government’s efforts in ensuring quality education.
Mr Adjei said without the collective support of parents and guardians, the vaccination exercise could not achieve its target and entreated head teachers to ensure that all school going children were immunized.
Source: GNA