Bolgatanga, Oct.31, GNA - The Upper East Region recorded 11 cases of measles in 2005 as against 6,000 cases in 1996.

Mr Boniface Gambila, Upper East Regional Minister, announced this on Tuesday when launching the National Measles Elimination and Child Survival Campaign on URA Radio, a Private FM Station at Bolgatanga. He said in 2002 measles cases in the region reduced to below 400 following the mass measles campaign and said since then the region had been recording less than 100 cases.

Mr Gambila said since 2003 there had not been any death caused by measles in the region and no reported case of poliomyelitis. He attributed these successes to the mass immunization exercises embarked upon by Ghana Health Service (GHS) periodically and commended the Health Sector and other stakeholders for the success. Mr Gambila said notwithstanding these achievements, Ghanaian children were still at risk because of neighbouring countries. He said the region had not been able to reach the 90 per cent vaccination routine coverage and appealed to chiefs, elders, District Chief Executives, Assembly Members and other stakeholders to support the exercise scheduled for Wednesday, November 1 to 5.

Mr Gambila announced that the region was expected to immunise 323,427 children against poliomyelitis, 274,913 children against measles, 291,084 children for Vitamin A Supplement, distribution of free bed nets to 129,371 children and de-worming of 194,056 children. He said all logistics had been made available for the exercise.