Group Photo Of Officials Of The Ministry Of Health At the Press Conference
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Gambia will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign from November 12 to 15, 2024, through the Ministry of Health’s Expanded Program on Immunization, with support from key health partners.
On Friday, the Ministry of Health held a press briefing to update the public on the goals, strategies, and significance of the upcoming campaign, which will be carried out across the country.
Polio is a debilitating disease caused by a virus that primarily affects children, leading to death or paralysis. However, it is preventable through vaccination.
The upcoming immunization drive aims to vaccinate all children aged 0 to 5 years, with an estimated 426,481 children expected to be vaccinated during the National Immunization Days.
The Ministry of Health emphasized that this campaign aligns with the World Health Organization’s standard operating procedures for polio outbreak response, as well as international health regulations.
Sidet Fofana, the Program Manager for the Ministry’s Expanded Program on Immunization, underscored the importance of the campaign, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to eradicating polio in The Gambia.
“Polio is a very dangerous disease. It is a devastating disease it cripples, and we all know when people are crippled they are unable to do a lot of things so they normally become a liability to society. There are a lot of disease that is ravaging the human population but this one is exceptional so that any form of the poliovirus is a problem we don’t want to see it in the Gambia,” he said
Fofana explained that the disease spreads when a person consumes water or food contaminated with the feces of an infected individual.
“There is no cure for polio as an infection now in the whole world so to protect your children get them vaccinated the millions of Dalasi government and partners spent on polio vaccination can be spent on something for national development,”he explained
A Ministry statement issued in July alerted the public to an outbreak of a new strain of poliovirus detected at the environmental surveillance site in Banjul. This led the Ministry to officially declare a polio outbreak and call for public support in responding to the crisis.
Aziz Amina Sahid, the World Health Organization’s Risk Communication Officer, appealed to caregivers to support the vaccination campaign, stressing that their involvement is essential to ensure all children are vaccinated.
“I urge our parents and caregivers, especially our men, to support our mothers to help us get our children vaccinated when the campaign is on from the 12th to the 15th of November, and it’s going to be a house to house campaign. I want to assure you that WHO is committed to work with partners, especially the ministry of health, and its sister partners UNICEF to help eradicate polio from the Gambia. Together we can make the Gambia our smiling coast free from polio in the near future,”she said.
Jacob Sarge Akono, UNICEF’s Social and Behavioral Consultant, called on the media to spread the word to ensure that no child is left behind in the vaccination effort.
He emphasized the goal of vaccinating every child to ensure the disease is completely eliminated from the country.
The vaccination team will visit homes and key locations such as health centers, markets, schools, and ferry crossings to reach all targeted children.
At the press conference, the Ministry of Health reassured parents that the vaccine is safe, effective, and free of side effects, meeting international manufacturing standards.