Nkoranza (B/A), Oct. 31, GNA - Madam Salamatu Ibrahim, the Nkoranza South District Director of Health Services, on Wednesday said, her outfit has targeted 16,823 children, below the age of five, for immunization in the communities, during the up-coming National Supplementary Measles Immunisation Exercise. Madam Ibrahim announced this at a stakeholders' meeting at Nkoranza, which was aimed at educating the people about the importance of the exercise.

She said the Ghana Health Service has worked hard within the past three years to control measles and that only suspected cases of the disease were reported in the period. She disclosed that about 88 Community-Based Volunteers (CBV), 40 vaccinators and 10 supervisors have been trained to ensure the effective conduct of the immunization exercise, which would be held between Wednesday 3rd and Saturday 6th November, 2010. Madam Ibrahim commended the Government for being supportive to the GHS towards the successful implementation of the 2006 Measles Supplementary Immunization Activity, which has led to the control of the disease.

The Director of Health Services said as part of the exercise, the children to be immunized would also be given vitamin 'A' supplement, to enhance their growth and sight. She said the exercise would be conducted at clinics, weighing centres and schools and urged all parents to ensure that their children are immunized. The District Disease control officer, Mr Charles Gyamfi, expressed regret that the disease had claimed the lives of a number of children, during the past few days and said, "such shocking news were over since the best antidote has been discovered to fight the disease". He said officers' from his outfit were carrying out sensitization programmes in the communities to create more awareness for parents to patronize the exercise. Mr Gyamfi called on Assembly members, traditional rulers, teachers and religious leaders to educate their people about the importance of the exercise, in order to capture all children within the target group. 31 Oct. 10