Second phase of anti-polio campaign starts today

The second phase of the national anti polio campaign has been launched in Yaounde by the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda.

The campaign that will run from 31st October to 2nd November, 2014 targets specific groups in the various regions:

-Children aged 0 – 10 years in the Adamawa and East regions;

-Children aged 0 – 59 months in the other eight regions of the country.

-All age groups in the refugee camps of the Adamawa and East regions.

According to Dr Mbu Robinson, expert at the Ministry of Public Health, vaccines have also been sent to the inaccessible places and supervisors dispatched to ensure the proper administration of the vaccine.

Dr Mbu Robinson also noted that social mobilisers have been deployed to sensitise the people on the importance of the vaccine.

In the meantime, the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has also joined in the fight against polio by calling on pressmen to act as social mobilisers.

The UNICEF Country Representative, Zakari Adam made the call during a workshop organised in Yaounde where he qualified the media as an indispensable tool in the fight against poliomyelitis.

According to Zakari Adam, campaigns involve communication hence the media organs need to be properly informed on polio, in order to better communicate on the fight.

The UNICEF boss encouraged the journalists to work in harmony with the organisations involved in the fight, so as to better propagate the anti-polio message and convince parents to get their children vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary also called on public and private media organs to put hands on deck and efficiently sensitise Cameroonians on the poliomyelitis immunisation programme.

Minister Issa Tchiroma made this call in a communiqué sent to the media organs during the week.