By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), Sept 6, GNA – The Kadjebi district has overshot its target of mass immunisation against the novel oral polio virus type 2 by vaccinating 15,568 children, representing 103 per cent of its reference point.
The District Directorate of Ghana Health Service had targeted 15,115 children under five years, which constitute 20 per cent of its estimated population of 75,575 for the immunisation exercise but recorded over a 100 per cent achievement.
Mr Eric Nana Takyi, the Kadjebi District Director of Health Service, disclosed these to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Kadjebi in the Oti Region.
He said the strategy was redeploying the community mobilizers as vaccinators to augment the efforts of the twenty-nine-member vaccination teams, including 26 community mobilizers, who were adequately trained to vaccinate all eligible children within the five sub-districts.
He illustrated the reasons for the achievement of the target as the vaccination teams took advantage of the larger converging points such as the markets, which drew people from within and without the district.
Mr Nana Takyi said the selected vaccinators mustered the terrain knowing their bearing in every nook and cranny and could trace every eligible child.
He said the exercise was challenged by intermittent rainfalls, but progress was made.
He indicated that poliovirus causes paralysis and sometimes death and that multiple doses of polio vaccine are the most proven intervention to increase protection.
Mr Nana Takyi advised caregivers to ensure that their children take part in the second round of the mass vaccination scheduled for 6 – 9 of October 2022 and ensure to continue to attend weighing regularly after the campaign.
GNA