RIYADH, 7 April 2003 — The Kingdom’s vaccination drive has helped eradicate diseases such as polio, diphtheria and tetanus, according to Dr. Yaakub Al-Mazroue, assistant deputy health minister for preventive medicine.

In a statement on the occasion of World Health Day, he said the vaccinations targeting 10 major diseases covered 95 percent of children throughout the country.

“The Health Ministry’s efforts for the protection of children have resulted in a substantial reduction of a number of diseases and the disappearance of some of them. They include polio, diphtheria and tetanus,” Mazroue said.

He said efforts were under way to eradicate other diseases such as measles, German measles and mumps. “The ministry has developed a plan to root out these diseases,” he added.

Health Minister Dr. Osama Shubokshi highlighted the progress achieved by the Kingdom in primary health care services, covering 98 percent of the country’s total population. He said the infant mortality rate in the Kingdom had been reduced from 30 to 19 per 1,000 births.