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Gambia pre-empts polio infection
Thursday, 04 March 2010 23:44
By Abdoulie JohnThe fight against polio is taking a new dimension, as the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Gambia, together with its partners are poised to launch an immunization campaign. Described as a synchronized activity spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) with support from UNICEF and Rotary International, this move aims at containing the Wild Polio Virus chain.
This was revealed to the media by the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alhagie Omar Taal, during a press briefing held Wednesday 3rd March, 2010, at the offices of the Ministry of Health in Banjul.
“Over the years, series of National Immunization Days (NIDs) have been conducted by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The first NIDs were conducted in 1998 and ever since The Gambia has conducted 12 successful campaigns with high immunization coverage supplemented with active surveillance for any Wild Polio Virus Importation,” Mr Taal said.
Considered as one of the greatest achievements in Gambia’s public health in recent decades, the fight against polio has almost turned the country into a polio-free zone.
“There has been no importation of Wild Polio Virus into the country and key surveillance and immunization coverage indicators have been very good for the past years. This is a result of the high immunization coverage the country has been achieving over the years and active surveillance in order to detect any Wild Polio Virus.’’ The DPS said. And he added, ‘‘as a result of this great effort, The Gambia was declared Polio-Free since 2004. This was made possible through the support of the government of the Gambia, development partners and the enthusiastic caring parents/caregivers who bring in their children for immunization services.”
DPS Taal went on to disclose that this year’s National Immunization Day will target more than 300.000 children from 0 to 5 years.
Speaking earlier, Mrs Yamundowe Loe-Jallow, a senior official at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, told journalists that the re-emergence of polio cases in some neighboring countries has prompted its department and development partners to react in order to prevent any risk. “This exercise constitutes precautionary measure that we are taking so as prevent the disease in Gambia,” she said. Mrs Yamundowe Loe-Jallow also informed newsmen that no confirmed polio cases have been registered so far.
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