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Government Explains On-Going Immunisation of Women
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The
East African Standard (Nairobi)
February 13, 2002
Posted to the web February 13, 2002
Tabitha Onyinge
The on-going countrywide anti-tetanus immunisation
programme for females between 12 and 49 years of age is "extremely
important", the government said yesterday.
Public Health Minister Prof Sam Ongeri said the maternal
and neo-natal tetanus against which the females are being immunised has been
recognised all over the world as a public health problem due to unhygienic
birth practices.
Since the exercise was launched a week ago in Mombasa, it
has been clouded in controversy with men feeling side-lined and concerned
parents wondering why their children are immunised in school without their
consent.
Yesterday the minister said the majority of females in the
targeted age-groups were found in schools and colleges hence the activities in
the institutions.
He appealed to all eligible women to create awareness and
avoid misconceptions or false rumours during the campaign which ends on March
17, to give way to phase two of the same.
Ongeri said the total elimination of maternal neo-natal
tetanus requires collective responsibility from all sectors.
"Apart from supplemental immunisation, raising
awareness and education will be the focus to increase demand for and use of
clean deliveries and cord care practices during and after maternal neo-natal
tetanus elimination stage," said Ongeri in a statement faxed to newsrooms.
Ongeri said that neo-natal tetanus kills between 500,000
and 1 million babies world-wide every year.
In the Coast region, he said, a community based health
survey indicated an average neo-natal tetanus incidence rate of 5 per 1000 live
births.
The campaign has targeted 30 out of 70 districts, based on
the number of neo-natal tetanus cases, health facility accessibility and
trained health workers among other factors.
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