Accra Oct. 9, GNA – Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General, Ghana Health Service (GHS), Friday paid a working visit to selected communities in Accra to assess the second round of phase three of the Polio vaccination exercise.
He was accompanied by Dr. Charity Sarpong, Greater Accra Regional Health Director, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and officials from the Disease Surveillance Unit of the GHS.
The team toured communities near the Arts centre, Osu Divine and Sahara market.
Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye told Journalists after the tour that the ongoing exercise which targeted children under five years old, was being conducted in 179 districts in eight regions by the Ministry of Health, through the Ghana Health Service and its partners.
“Over four and a half million children in the Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Volta, Upper West, Western and Western North regions have been targeted for the polio vaccination,“ he said.
He said as the first round was done, trained immunization teams would move from house to house to immunize all children from birth to five years against the polio virus from now to Sunday October 11th.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye noted that children from 6 months to 5 years would be given vitamin A capsules, which reduced the severity of diarrhea infections, improved immunity and made children strong and healthy, as part of the campaign.
He urged the public to open their homes to the immunization teams, saying “if a population is fully immunized, they will be protected against all forms of polioviruses hence the need to ensure that all eligible children receive all routine vaccinations on time.”
He said all vaccinators, volunteers and supervisors had been trained on COVID-19 prevention protocols and provided with personal protective equipment (PPEs) and alcohol-based hand sanitizers for use to ensure optimal infection prevention.
“Let us all get on board to ensure that the children of Ghana receive all life-saving interventions and protected against vaccine preventable diseases,” he said.
Ghana confirmed two events of Polio Virus Type 2 in environmental surveillance samples in Koblimagu in Tamale Metropolis (Northern Region) and in Agbogbloshie in Accra Metropolis (Greater Accra Region) in July and August 2019, respectively.
The first human case of Polio Virus type 2 was also confirmed in August 2019 in a sample from a 2 year, 9-month-old girl in the Chereponi District (North East Region) who had developed Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) or floppy lower limbs.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye urged the public to observe improved personal hygiene and good sanitation practices such as regular washing of hands with soap under running water, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, use of toilet facilities for human waste disposal.
The Director General advised the public to observe all Covid-19 prevention and safety protocols including physical distancing and the wearing of face mask.
GNA