By Tokpa Tarnue, tarnue822@gmail.com
Voinjama, Liberia– Over 70% of children between the ages 0 to 59 months have been successfully vaccinated against the crippling and potentially life-threatening disease, Polio across the county, Health officials here say.
According to the Lofa County Health Promotional focal Person, the four-day Polio Immunization Campaign was carried out across the six health districts of this northwestern Liberian county and three other counties.
Health scientists describe Polio, or poliomyelitis as a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease. It is caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).
Mr. William K. Sherman indicated that the recent polio campaign, which lasted from Friday October 26 to Monday October 29, was conducted in three other counties including Lofa, Nimba, Grand Geddeh and Mountosaardo due to its population.
He attributed the massive turnout for the campaign to the involvement of other partners especially the Youth in Technology and Arts Networks or (YOTAN) for short as a lead focus group for Lofa County on the Liberia Immunization Platform the (LIP).
YOTAN Community Mobilizes at the end of the latest round of the polio vaccination
Speaking at the start of the campaign in the county, the executive director for the Youth in Technology and Arts Network (YOTAN), Donnish Mulbah Pewee disclosed that the Liberia Immunization Platform the (LIP) is growing civil society alliance of more than thirty (30) civil society and non-governmental organizations.
This is being done under a unique of purpose helping to improve immunization access and coverage in Liberia, he said.
Mr. Pewee also said since its establishment in 2013, LIP has been receiving funding from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) through the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) –Liberia.
According to the YOTAN Executive Director, the group has led the recent polio campaign in Lofa County and assigned over 60 community mobilizes across the six health districts, ahead of the start of the campaign.
He said this paved the way for a successful conduct of the polio vaccination activities in the county.
To increase coverage, the Ministry of Health with support from partners instituted strategic interventions to address the gaps identified during previous polio campaigns.
He cited some of the key interventions undertaken which contributed to resolving residual cases of resistance and improving coverage.
They include: intensification of social mobilization and targeted community engagement to address perceived barriers; active involvement of leaders and elders in communities with a history of resistance as part of the mobilization or vaccination teams; and the recruitment of mobilizes to carry out house-to-house mobilization activities in order to reach all eligible children in the six health districts of the county.