Elizabeth Mosima
13 March 2008
The objective for this year is to reach 86 percent vaccination coverage.
Eradicating the polio virus in the country is one of the major priorities of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI). The revelation was made during a meeting of the Inter-Agencies Coordination Committee (CCIA) in Yaounde yesterday. Organised by the Expanded Programme on Immunization in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the meeting brought together stakeholders of the health sector in the ministry of Public Health, representatives of partner ministries, international organisations, and NGOs. The meeting was presided over by the Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda. The purpose of the meeting was to present results of the evaluation of activities of the Expanded Programme on immunisation (EPI) for 2007 and the results of the first health week on mother and infant nutrition. It was equally an occasion for the members of CCIA to present a balance sheet of last year and to adopt a plan of action for 2008.
Speaking during the occasion the Minister of Public Health said in 2007, Cameroon achieved considerable progress in the field of vaccination and got an 84 percent coverage which represents four points increase as compared to 2006. This, according to him, has effectively helped prevent several cases of diseases, handicap and deaths. The Minister expressed gratitude to development partners and related sectors such as the Ministries of Basic Education, Secondary Education, Women Empowerment and the Family, etc, adding that the objective for 2008 is to get to 86 percent vaccination coverage.
According to the Minister, focus for this year will be laid on the implementation of the Reach Every District Approach, health district capacity building, integration to vaccination of other health interventions such as deworming and vitamin A supplementation to under five year-old pupils of nursery and primary schools. Despite the wide coverage, two cases of polio have been reported in Douala and the Far North Province. To this, the Minister said vigorous repost will be taken to fight the disease. The CCIA equally used the occasion to announce the introduction of two new vaccines in January 2009. According to Dr Emmanuel Nomo, Permanent secretary at the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, the new vaccines are vaccines against Heamophylus Influenza B to fight against meningitis and the other vaccine is against pulmonary infections in children.
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