By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, Nov. 20, GNA – Health authorities in the Ashanti Region are calling for public support ahead of another round of Polio vaccination campaign across the country on the theme, “Kick Polio Out of Ghana.”
Ghana is targeting the vaccination of at least 95 per cent of children under five years following a confirmed CVDPV2 isolate from the Koforidua Environmental Surveillance Sites by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Reference Laboratory on September 9, 2024.
To achieve this, the Ghana Health Service and its partners embarked on a first round vaccination campaign, which sought to break polio transmission from October 17-20, this year.
The second round of vaccination campaign is to reinforce efforts to protect children under five, who are more susceptible to the disease.
It is against this background that the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate is rallying public support for the vaccination of 1,042,361 children in all 43 districts in the region in the second round of the campaign.
“We need the support of chiefs, queen mothers, opinion leaders, parents, guardians, heads of basic schools, health workers, the media and the clergy to ensure we vaccinate at least 95 per cent of children in the region,” Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, said at media launch of the campaign in Kumasi.
He said one in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, with five to 10 per cent of those paralysed dying when their breathing muscles become immobilised.
In some instances, the child is unable to move certain limbs, also called paralysis even into adulthood, affecting the quality of life and at times the potential for other activities, Dr. Adomako-Boateng added.
He said polio types two and three had already been eliminated, with type one being endemic in only two countries – Afghanistan and Pakitstan.
“Though we have been able to address the wild types of polioviruses in the environment, we have not yet achieved our major objective of the Polio Endgame Plan to eradicate all forms of polioviruses, our agenda of eradicating Polio is in jeopardy with current happening of outbreaks of vaccine derived poliovirus,” he said.
The first round of the campaign, according to the Regional Director, exceeded target but there were challenges in few districts, which would be addressed in the second round of vaccination.
He said mobile vaccination teams would be visiting homes, schools, and public places to vaccinate eligible children during the campaign.
Parents and guardians can also visit designated vaccination centres across all districts to have their children immunised.
GNA