The Upper East Health Directorate has announced an integrated Measles and Rubella vaccination and Vitamin A supplementation campaign, slated for October 2-6, 2024.
This urgent initiative aims to curb measles outbreaks in several districts in the Upper East Region. Children aged 9-59 months are the target beneficiaries of this campaign, which seeks to bolster population immunity and disrupt the transmission of the measles virus.
During a media engagement on the exercise, the Upper East Regional Health Director, Dr. Samuel K. Boakye-Boateng, emphasized the gravity of the situation with the theme, “Measles and Rubella kill; vaccinate your child now for a good life.”
“As you may know, your invaluable support and collaboration are critical in our collective effort to ensure universal access to quality healthcare for all individuals living in Ghana, particularly in the Upper East Region. Notably, this effective partnership with you has ensured that the Upper East Region is always counted among the best-performing regions in terms of quality healthcare service delivery in the country.”
“It is for this reason that we have set aside this time to engage you on an important national event, where your support will be needed to make it a success. This is a nationwide vaccination campaign against measles and rubella, integrated with Vitamin A supplementation.”
While urging all parents to actively participate in the five-day exercise, Dr. Boakye-Boateng noted that about seven districts in the Upper East Region have recorded positive cases of measles, with two experiencing outbreaks since the beginning of the year, highlighting the importance of the vaccination campaign.
“This medical initiative is termed as Supplemental Immunization Activity (SIA). It is therefore not surprising that since last year, we have been recording increasing numbers of children with measles in the country, along with outbreaks in some areas. In the Upper East Region, over seven districts have recorded positive cases of measles, with two experiencing outbreaks since the beginning of the year. It is for this reason that we are embarking on this vaccination campaign.”
According to Dr. Samuel K. Boakye-Boateng, over 136,000 deaths have been recorded among children worldwide, particularly in Africa, underscoring the need for early reporting to prevent outbreaks.
“I wish to remind us that measles is a viral disease currently causing about 136,000 deaths among children worldwide, particularly in Africa, even though it is earmarked for elimination. Therefore, there is a need for early detection, monitoring trends, and reporting to prevent outbreaks.”
From October 2-6, 2024, staff of the Ghana Health Service, along with their volunteers, will be at health centers, various market squares, churches, mosques, and other locations to provide free vaccinations as part of the measles and rubella vaccination and Vitamin A supplementation campaign.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHz | David Azure | Bolgatanga |
