More than 625,000 children immunised against polio

A total of 627,978 children were immunised against polio in Sierra Leone’s 13 districts on 9-10 October, during the first round of National Immunization Days for Polio Eradication, the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in the West African country reported. About 93.1 percent of targeted children in accessible regions of the country - and an estimated 76.4 percent of all children under the age of five years in Sierra Leone - were immunized, WHO said. Dr. William Aldis, the WHO representative in Sierra Leone, attributed the campaign’s success in part to “emphatic, public support” from President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and former rebel faction leaders, the mobilisation and participation of mothers and communities, the efforts of volunteers, as well as good management and leadership by a team from the Health Ministry. Other contributory factors include “unprecedented cooperation by partners, including UNICEF, Rotary International, World Food Programme, Action contre Faim (ACF), Africare, Merlin, Caritas, Cause Canada, Concern World Wide, Medecin sans Frontieres, ADRA and International Medical Corps”, he said. The second round starts on 6 November. Following an outbreak of fighting between elements of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and former Sierra Leone Army (ex-SLA) in the eastern town of Makeni in mid-October, the coverage strategy for the second round will be revised each day depending on security reports, WHO said.