Health Ministry launches immunisation campaign

Benin, in partnership with four international organisations, launched on Wednesday a three-weeks measles campaigns that would cover four distrcits. News agencies quoted Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry Yarou Moussa as saying the programme would be conducted in the districts of Atacora and Donga in the north-west, and Zou and Collines in the central region, would end on 20 December. Other districts would be covered next year. The immunisation campaign targets eradicating measles among children from 9 months old, who are estimated to be about three million in Benin, PANA reported. Measles is one of the world's leading child killer diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Benin, which recorded 5,094 cases of measles last year, is conducting the campaign in partnership with UNICEF, WHO, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.