07-10-2014 ASHANTI EXCEEDS TARGET

The Ashanti region exceeded its target for the just-ended immunization exercise with a 107 point-one per cent coverage. The region aimed at vaccinating a total of one million, 87 thousand, 732 children under five years against polio. However, one million, 155 thousand, 321 children in the region were inoculated during the three-day period. The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Health directorate, Mr. Emmanuel Badu, who made this known to Ashanti Today in an interview in Kumasi, said the children were categorized into two thus babies under age one and those between one and five years of age. According to the PRO, 263 thousand and 59 children under one year were vaccinated against polio as against the set target of 215 thousand, 746 translating into 121 point-nine percent coverage. For the infants aged from one to five years, the immunization exercise covered 892 thousand, 262 children as against the target of 862 thousand, 986 which also represents 103 point-four per cent coverage. According to Mr. Badu, the major said the entire exercise was very successful without any major challenge, saying that every district, including the hard-to-reach communities, especially in the Sekyere Afram Plains, were covered, in spite of the challenge of torrential rainfall during the period of the exercise. There were also no logistical challenge  while parents, regardless of their religious believes, resisted the immunization of their children. Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service has scheduled to undertake another vaccination exercise from the 30th of this month to the 1st of next month, November to fully protect infants against preventable diseases.