Somanya (E/R), March 6, GNA- Dr George Amofa, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), on Friday urged parents to ensure that their children below six years are given polio immunisation during the national exercise.

He said Polio was a life long devastating disease, hence the partnership between the GHS, World Health Organisation and UNICEF to immunise children each year to boost their immune system. Dr Amofa was speaking when he joined the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Babal Jamal and the Deputy Regional Director of Health, Dr George Bonsu, to monitor the administration of the vaccine in the Yilo Krobo District.

He said during the three-day immunisation exercise, there would be monitoring at the country's borders to ensure that any immigrant who fell within that age was vaccinated before he or she entered the country. Dr Amofa said 14 other countries including Ghana's immediate neighbours were also conducting similar immunisation exercises. Dr Bonsu said the region has been chosen as the focal point of the GHS for the monitoring of the National Immunisation Campaign while the Yilo Krobo District has been selected as the supervisory centre for the monitoring of the exercise.

He said an estimated 530,743 children would be immunised during the three-day exercise, out of which the Yilo Krobo District is targeting 22,000 children. Mr Jamal expressed optimism that the efforts of the GHS to eradicate polio would yield positive results. 6 March 10