New York, May 28 2010 7:10PM
Health workers fanned out across Liberia today to vaccinate children against polio as the third round of a synchronized regional immunization campaign aimed at eradication the paralyzing disease in West Africa began, the United Nations Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) reported.
Vaccinators are aiming to reach 53 million children across West Africa during the five-day campaign.
In Liberia, the exercise is jointly supported by the health ministry, UNICEF, the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/">WHO) and the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://unmil.org/">UNMIL), as well as more than 700 social mobilizers.
UNMIL Radio and other community radio stations are broadcasting jingles and polio-related messages regularly, with UNICEF providing technical and financial support for communications, and a supply of more than 900,000 doses of polio vaccine. WHO is providing technical support as well as funds for logistics, monitoring, transportation and allowances for vaccination teams.
"I would like to call on parents all across the country to take their children for the polio vaccine – not only for its importance but because it is their right," said Ibrahim Sesay, a UNICEF child protection specialist in Liberia. "We call on vaccinators and health workers in the field to do their outmost in ensuring that every child under five is reached and immunized against this deadly disease," he added.
May 28 2010 7:10PM
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