Embrace  polio vaccination, minister urges public

The Minister of State for Health in-charge of General Duties, Ms Anifa Kawooya, has  launched the national house-to-house polio vaccination campaign in Wakiso District.

The launch, carried out yesterday was done ahead of the national polio vaccination campaign that starts today targeting about eight million children under the age of five years.
During the launch,  Ms Kawooya tasked all parents and guardians to  ensure their children under five years get vaccinated against polio.

“We have decided to do a house-to-house polio campaign because we need all our children to be vaccinated.  Our health workers will come to your homes and please give them time to vaccinate your children because they need the vaccine,” Ms Kawooya said.
She also noted that Uganda has a huge number of unvaccinated and under vaccinated children, who need to be helped and save their lives.

“The immunisation exercise will be conducted house-to-house countrywide from January 14 up to January 16 and I ask all parents and guardians to put more effort and avail their children for immunisation because we have enough health workers in the field,” she added.
 The Unicef Representative in Uganda, Dr Mohamed El Munir A. Safieldin, said one of Uganda’s greatest achievements over the past 20 years has been the ability to keep a huge number of children alive.
 Mr Safieldin also asked Ugandans to embrace the polio vaccination campaign.

Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika, the Wakiso District chairperson, applauded the Ministry of Health, Unicef , World Health Organisation, and the health workers who have come up to support the campaign.
He also called upon politicians to sensitise all parents and guardians to embrace the campaign.
“We’re politicians but in situations like these, we need to first put politics aside and sensitise our people to avail children for immunisation,” Mr Bwanika said.