Garowe — Puntland Ministry of Health has announced that it will launch a new campaign halting polio spread in the coming days on Sunday, Garowe Online reports.

Speaking on Puntland-based independent station Radio Garowe, Puntland's Minister of Health Dr. Ali Abdullahi Warsame told that his ministry will restart mass campaign to control and prevent further spread of the polio outbreak after some cases were reported from Lasanod town of Sool region two days ago.

"The health ministry will launch a mass campaign in the next few days, we will conduct a door to door immunization campaign targeting children less than 5 years and even we will extend our missions to extreme areas where children who are at risk of getting polio are available," said Dr. Ali, "71 cases were reported from south central part of the country and this shows that Somalia is not polio free,".

The minister stressed that the public is required to wash their hands with soap before eating and after handling diapers or going to the toilet in order to prevent the polio virus which he says can only be eliminated by cautionary measures including preliminary vaccinations.

Dr. Ali also encouraged the parents not to hide their children from polio workers because Polio virus leads the victims to critical.

Puntland Ministry of health previously launched two vaccination campaigns targeted children below five years and the ministry put the entire health sector on standby due to the recently reported cases, according to ministry officials.

GAROWE ONLINE