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Measles, Vit A campaigns register 90 percent turnout
By
Our Reporter - 21-08-2002 |
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Controller of Preventive Health Services Habib Somanje said yesterday that preliminary reports indicate that the anti-measles vaccine and vitamin A supplementation campaigns held from August 13 to 15 registered a 90 percent turnout.
Government targeted at least 1.5 million under-five children at some 5,900 designated sites in the country.
Somanje said in a telephone interview that although the response is in line with international requirements for campaigns, the Ministry of Health will this week conduct mop-up campaigns in some districts to accommodate those who failed to respond to the three-day campaign mostly due to funerals.
“In general terms, the coverage is more than 90 percent and we can say that the campaign was very successful,” he said.
Somanje, who said in an earlier interview that the country’s goal is to eliminate measles by having not more than one case per 100,000 of population by 2003, said in some cases campaign vaccines were depleted, forcing government to use those for routine vaccinations.
In 1997, a measles outbreak registered 10,845 cases and 231 deaths compared to 67 suspected cases with no deaths last year, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. |
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