The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced plans to embark on a nationwide immunization exercise against Poliomyelitis for children under five years.
The immunization programme, which is set to commence on Thursday October 17 to Sunday October 22, 2024 is aimed at safeguarding children from Polio to support their overall wellbeing.
Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services at the launch of the exercise disclosed that the region was looking at a target population of 1,042,361 under the exercise.
He explained that Polio (Poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under five years of age, as one out of two hundred infections lead to irreversible paralysis.
According to him, 5% to 10% of paralyzed cases die when their breathing muscles become immobilized, and in some instances the child is unable to move certain limbs.
He mentioned three types of polio virus as type 1, type 2 and type 3, and that the type 2 and 3 have already been eradicated, stressing that Type 2 was eradicated in 2015 while and type 3 was eradicated in 2019.
According to him, type 1 is endemic in only two countries, which are Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Dr. Adomako called on all Chiefs, Queen-mothers, Opinion leaders, Parents, Guardians Headmistresses and Headmasters, Health Workers, the Media, Clergy, Imams, Parents and Volunteer health workers to ensure that at least 95% of children in the country are vaccinated to achieve the target in the Ashanti Region.
