Nairobi, Oct 25 (IANS) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed commitment to supporting Kenya’s national immunisation programme in eradicating the polio outbreak in the country.
UNICEF Representative to Kenya Shaheen Nilofer said that the programme has maintained an average vaccine coverage rate of 85 per cent to reach the 88 per cent vaccination target.
“We have made great strides in Kenya toward eradicating polio, but we must do more. We must reach the last 1 per cent. No one is safe unless everyone is safe,” Nilofer said in a statement issued on Thursday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to mark World Polio Day.
According to UNICEF, the current polio outbreak in Kenya is being driven by a combination of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted many routine vaccination services and the health system that is still recovering.
The UN agency said climate change also has impacted immunisation programmes in Kenya, with cyclical droughts and floods displacing children and their families as well as destroying health centres where routine immunisation services are delivered, Xinhua news agency reported.
“We have a plan to address the threat of polio, and the plan is simple and safe: We must vaccinate all children against polio,” Nilofer said.
The statement came after Kenya’s Ministry of Health said on October 19 that at least 3.71 million children were vaccinated against polio in the government’s latest drive to stop the disease.
The ministry said that the vaccination took place in nine counties deemed as vulnerable, including Nairobi, amid plans to roll out the second vaccination drive on November 9-13.
UNICEF said population movements and immigration from the long-lasting conflicts in neighbouring Somalia and South Sudan, together with congestion in refugee camps such as Dadaab and Kakuma in northern Kenya, lead to the prolonged circulation of polio.
“Poor hygiene and sanitation in the camps make this worse since the virus is spread through oral and nasal secretions and contact with contaminated feces,” the agency said.
Polio is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by poliovirus, which can infect a person’s spinal cord, leading to paralysis, according to the health ministry.
Every year on October 24, World Polio Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease and to celebrate the many parents, professionals, and volunteers whose contributions make polio eradication achievable.
–IANS
int/jk/kvd
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
