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UNICEF immunises over 80,000 children against measles

[South Africa] President Thabo Mbeki, who has urged leaders to back peace council. IRIN
Tough words have been exchanged between President Thabo Mbeki and TAC
    ABIDJAN

    UNICEF has immunised more than 80,000 malnourished and internally
    displaced children against measles in southern Somalia and, with improved access to the Bay and Bakool areas, has revised its immunisation target upward to 200,000 children, a UNICEF Somalia spokeswoman told IRIN on Wednesday.

    Having initially had a target of 60,000 people, UNICEF and its partners have overcome security problems to vaccinate an additional 20,000 through "piggy-backing" on emergency food distribution convoys and water source rehabilitation projects. With this process providing new access to the Bay and Bakool regions, where regular health services have been suspended
    since September 1995, UNICEF hopes to avert the danger - witnessed during previous crises - of infection and disease sweeping through physically and psychologically vulnerable communities, the spokeswoman said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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