Kumasi, April 7, GNA - A total of 345,664 children under five years were immunised against polio in the Kumasi metropolis out of a target of 332,369 children under the first round of the National Immunisation Day (NID) exercise held between February 25 and 27 this year. The figure represents 104 per cent coverage and exceeds the target earmarked for immunisation in the first round by the Kumasi Metropolitan Directorate of Health Services.

Dr Joseph Oduro, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Health Services, told the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on Wednesday that the success of the exercise was bolstered by the hard work and commitment of the volunteers and health personnel recruited, as well as the adequate publicity given to the programme.

He extended appreciation to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, which supported the exercise with 26 million cedis. Dr Oduro also commended the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, other transport unions and decentralised departments for providing vehicles for the exercise.

He appealed to mothers to patronise the second round of the exercise scheduled for April 8 to 10 to help reduce, if not completely eradicate, the disease in the country.