Submit your comments on this article | |
Africa Horn | |
Puntland to continue polio vaccination campaign | |
2015-02-24 | |
GAROWE, Somalia -- Following a joint press statement that declared Somalia polio free for six months, the north eastern state of Puntland has said it will continue polio vaccination campaigns on Sunday, Garowe Online reports. Abdirizak Abshir Hirsi, a departmental Director with the Ministry of Health told a news conference in the state capital of Garowe that Puntland welcomes the recent report by United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization. “Despite huge progress in the fight against the deadly polio virus, we will continue to vaccinate children under the age of five against polio, “said Hirsi.
Humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Philippe Lazzarini called the achievement being made in polio front a breakthrough. For the first time in six years, Somalia exhibited the first polio case in May 2013, with the irreversible paralysis subsequently affecting 194 people in 2013 alone. | |
Posted by:Steve White |