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Government Targets 13m Children in Measles JAB

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The East African Standard (Nairobi)

June 13, 2002
Posted to the web June 13, 2002

Caroline Mango
 

The Ministry of Health is targeting 13.8 million children between the ages of nine months and 15 years to be immunised against measles.

Out of the target, 3.8 million children will also receive vitamin A alongside the immunisation which is set to officially commence on June 17 to June 23, this year.

The ministry via the Kenya Expanded Programme for Immunisation (Kepi) said they are targeting a 95 per cent immunisation coverage across the country.

The exercise, which will put more emphasis on high risk districts bordering neighbouring countries, will cost Sh819 million with funding from donors like Unicef, World health Organisation (WHO) and DfID.

Speaking in Mombasa during a sensitisation session dubbed "Measles catch-up campaign", Kepi Data Manager, Mr Mwaura Kiongo, said the national overview of cases of measles have been increasing over the years.

In 1998, a total of 11,382 cases were recorded while in 2000, 7,257 cases were recorded. In the year 2001, there were a total of 11,200 cases.

This year, there are already 5,166 cases with those mostly affected being below 15 years of age.

The campaign, Kiongo said, is to boost the immunity of the vulnerable age group so as to control further outbreaks.

Kiongo said in the past years, the ministry has only been able to immunise below 80 per cent across the country.

The exercise will, however, be a continuing process and will also be accompanied by the Polio vaccine.

Present during the session were Coast PC Samuel Limo, the chief administrator at Coast General Hospital Dr Khadijah Shikely, Muslim leaders and provincial heads among others.

In Coast Province, Shikely said Malindi is the leading district with measles cases followed by Mombasa and Kilifi.

Some districts, the session heard, have been difficult to cover due to logistic problems including infrastructure and clashes.