Health Experts Finalise Vaccination Strategies

They target 80 per cent vaccination coverage in all health districts in the country.

The Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organisation and other actors in the health sector, are determined to step up by 80 per cent , the vaccination coverage of all diseases that can be prevented through vaccination. Attention is focused at maintaining the standards already set towards eradicating polio, eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus, controlling river blindness and yellow fever.

Dr Hélène Mambu-ma- Disu, the resident representative of the World Health Organisation, WHO, to Cameroon , envisages an integrated approach , if the 80 per cent targeted coverage rate is to be attained. This was on April 22, during the start of a three-day meeting in Kribi, on how to valorise and improve on the progress achieved by the Extended Vaccination Programme. WHO and UNICEF, according to Dr Mambu-ma- Disu, are in favour of what she termed," reaching every health district, every health area and every child" with vaccines. The integrated approach targets training, follow up and evaluation, managing logistics and social mobilisation.

The Minister of Public Health, Urbain Olanguena Awono, while presiding at the opening ceremony of the meeting, stated that government is determined to attain 75 per cent coverage for the year 2003. The ultimate goal, he said would be to reach international standards of 80 per cent vaccination coverage within the short term. For the goal to be realised, the minister said that new vaccines would be introduced and ways sought for financial sustainability. During the 2003 vaccination session, community participation will be one of the main priorities. As such, sensitisation campaigns will be carried out so as to create awareness in the population and get the people involved in the entire process.

The Extended Vaccination Programme, will ensure that all health units without discrimination are supplied with vaccines and accompanying material. Local administrative authorities will be actively involved in the coordination of campaigns in their areas of command. Dr Emmanuel Nomo, the permanent secretary of the Central Technical Group of PEV, stated that the national strategy on the security of injections and management of used material will be valorised and applied. Particular attention, he said , will be paid to health areas that are lagging behind. The whole process requires team work and a functional network from the central administration down to the health areas. Respective partners would have to be involved at all levels of planning, management and carrying out the vaccination campaigns.

Present at the Kribi meeting that ends today, are some staff of the central services of the Ministry of Public Health, provincial delegates, provincial chiefs of service for community health and representatives of ministries associated with health matters. Also participating are representatives of international organisations such as WHO, UNICEF, European Union, Red Cross, GTZ and the French Cooperation.

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