Ethiopia is set to launch an anti-polio campaign next Wednesday, 7 October 2020, in the country’s 47 zones of Oromia, Somali, SNNP and Harrai regional states and two major cities.
Briefing journalists on Saturday, 3 October 2020, Ethiopian Public Health Institution Deputy Director-General, Aschalew AbaAschalew Abayneh yneh said around seven million children under five years will receive immunization drops and against polio disease in this round. He said that preparations are also underway to vaccinate 704 000 people against yellow fever as of Friday, 23 October 2020.
The institute called on parents to seriously consider the threats of polio like COVID-19, and vaccinate their children in each round of the campaign, in order to lead towards the elimination of polio in the country.
According to the deputy director-general, polio cases have been reported in those zones based on nationwide assessments conducted in December 2019. Further, the institution has made the necessary preparations, in terms of resource mobilization and assignment of health professionals to successfully carry out the door-to-door vaccination campaign.
He said cases of polio have been observed in Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan, hence the institute is working with neighbouring countries in order to control the disease throughout the horn of Africa.
Polio is a disease that paralyses and even kills, and it won’t be cured, so anti-polio vaccine is the only effective and safe way to save children from the disease, the deputy director-general added.
-APA
