300,000 NorthEast children immunized against Polio

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 October 2002, 08:29 GMT]
"Sri Lanka is in the verge of being certified a polio free nation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2003 depending on the successful implementation of the immunization campaign held in the northeast province this year," said Dr Mrs. S. Weeraman, member of the National Polio Eradication Committee of the Ministry of Health participating in the immunization programme event held at the office of the Medical Officer of Health, Trincomalee Saturday.

The immunization campaign against polio was concluded Saturday in the Northeast province.

Nearly three hundred thousand children under five in the eight districts of the northeast were given second dose Saturday. The first round of the polio campaign was carried out on September 28. The Epidemiological Unit of the Health Ministry and the UNICEF organized the immunization programme.

Dr.Genitz Dedo, IFSP team leader in Trinco who inaugurated the second round immunization campaign on Saturday is seen giving polio medicine to a child.

Alhough no cases of polio have been reported since 1993, the northeast province has been identified as a high-risk area due to the recent inflow of displaced people from India and other areas raising the possible outbreak of the disease, health ministry sources said.

Except Northeast, other provinces have been reported free of polio by the health authorities. Since 1996 every year immunization programme against polio has been conducted in the northeast, sources said. But only this year a fully comprehensive immunization programme was held in the northeast, sources said.

Dr Genitiz Dedo, Team Leader of the Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) of the German Technical Co-operation said "We give more importance to the health of the children in villages where IFSP programmes are implemented."

Dr Ms P.Palihawadane of Health Ministry also spoke at the occasion in Trincomalee. Dr.E.G.Gnanakunalan, Provincial Health Ministry official presided over the event.