UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
30 June 2003
Johannesburg — Thousands of children in Zimbabwe, who were not covered in last year's measles immunisation campaign, are expected to benefit from a follow-up programme set to kick off on 21 July, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday.
The UN agency has made available US $257 million to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to cover 16 districts across the country.
In July 2002 a 10-day immunisation campaign reached only 80 percent of its target of 2 million children under the age of five, UNICEF health consultant Eugen Manyora told IRIN.
"Last year there was a shortage of resources such as syringes and needles. Also, a resource-strapped awareness campaign can be attributed to the programme's failure to meet its goal."
It was possible that the original target of 2 million children, based on 1992 census data, was over-estimated and population growth may actually have declined since then as a result of the socio-economic crisis the country was facing, Manyora added.
"While mortality among children has dramatically declined, morbidity continues to be a problem," Manyora commented.
Measles is the leading killer disease among children in Zimbabwe.
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