National immunisation programme proceeding well

A new nationwide immunisation and vaccination programme aimed at eradicating vaccine preventable diseases and maintaining the country's polio free status is proceeding well in Turkmenistan, officials said. "The aim of the national immunisation programme is to cover more than 95 percent of the population and maintain polio-free status," a government official told IRIN from the capital, Ashgabat, adding that the programme aims to eliminate measles by 2010. Launched in January and planned to last until 2020, the national immunisation programme targets all vaccine preventable infections, including hepatitis, TB, measles, polio, diphtheria and parotitis (mumps) in accordance with the national strategy for the economic, political and cultural development of the country, in which further improvement of the overall health care system has been highlighted, with immunisation described as one of the top priorities. According to the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, the campaign was proceeding well with the current coverage rate of more than 95 percent, and distribution of personal vaccination cards at maternity hospitals free of charge, a step also contributing to a high rate of vaccination of the targeted population. "We've got very good coverage and maintain that. We are getting only WHO certified vaccines and we have reliable suppliers through UNICEF," a government official said, adding that the current programme had been developed based on the WHO recommendations, which they tried to comply with at the implementation phase as well. The previous immunisation programme in the Central Asian nation was implemented from 1993 to 2000, bringing polio elimination and a high rate of coverage, some 95 percent, against the main vaccine-preventable infections, including polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles. "Following 1997 no cases of polio caused by wild polio virus have been registered in Turkmenistan, which in 2002 along with other countries of the European region was certified as wild polio virus-free," Ene Djumaeva, a national programme officer for UNICEF, told IRIN, adding that preventive vaccination against hepatitis B among infants had started in 2002. Moreover, the government covers the cost for child vaccinations, including syringes and safe utilisation boxes, procured via UNICEF. "It is very important as there is a WHO/UNICEF agreement on banding supplies and vaccines should be supplied with self-destructible syringes and safe utilisation boxes, done with the sole aim of avoiding any infection from the outside," Djumaeva highlighted.