Tamale, Feb. 22, GNA - The Northern Region Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has targeted 600,000 children under five years to be immunised against poliomyelitis during the first "National Immunisation Day" (NID) for 2005, which begins on February 25.

Dr Akwasi Twumasi, Senior Medical Officer In-charge of Public Health who was briefing journalists on the NID in Tamale on Monday said vitamin 'A' capsules and de-worming drugs would also be administered to the children.

He said the Region recorded no cases in 2004 apart from the one case each recorded in the Yendi, East Mamprusi and East Gonja districts in 2003.

Dr Twumasi said Ghana was being threatened by polio cases in Nigeria, La Cote d' Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Alhaji A.B. Yakubu, Regional Health Promoter, condemned the tendency of some pregnant women to refuse the use of treated mosquito nets supplied to them, but prefer to display them only after delivery, thus infecting themselves and their children with malaria.