- Title: YEMEN-VACCINATION Yemen launches immunisation campaign for children
- Date: 17th August 2015
- Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (AUGUST 16, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** YEMENI MEN AND WOMEN STANDING OUTSIDE HEALTH CLINIC SIGN READING (Arabic) "THE NATIONAL IMMUNISATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST POLIO IN ALL PROVINCES OF THE REPUBLIC" WOMEN SITTING WITH THEIR CHILDREN VARIOUS OF CHILDREN RECEIVING POLIO VACCINE DROPS IN THE MOUTH HEALTH MINISTRY OFFICIAL ADMINISTERI
- Embargoed: 1st September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Yemen
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA59ETJ2GKGT6QZXXD3OYHTTKCB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Yemeni Children are being immunised against polio and measles at Sanaa's health centres in the war-torn country.
The immunisation campaign was launched by the the Yemeni health ministry in cooperation with the UN children's agency (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization.
Launched on Saturday (August 15), the six-day campaign aims to target more than 5 million children across the country.
"Given the difficult circumstances this country is going through, the ministry of health and its supporting partners are keen to ensure that children receive the necessary vaccines to protect their lives," said Yemeni Health Minister Ghazi Ismail.
The campaign is expected to focus on two main vaccines.
It aims to provide 4.2 million children under the age of five with Polio vaccinations and 1.4 million children between the age of 9 months and 15 years with Measles Rubella vaccinations.
UNICEF officials said the Polio vaccine will be administered to children in a "house to house" campaign strategy across the country while the Measles Rubella vaccine will be administered in the 49 highest risk districts.
Escalating violence in Yemen has devastated the country's health system and exposed millions of children to the threat of preventable diseases including measles, pneumonia and diarrhoea, the UNICEF said in June.
Since fighting intensified in March, many hospitals and health centres have been unable to function properly and vaccination services have been disrupted, according to UNICEF.
Health centres lack the electricity and fuel needed to distribute vaccines and keep them cold, while the fear of conflict is deterring parents from taking their children to receive vaccinations, the U.N. agency said.
UNICEF said the interruption to vaccination services had left 2.6 million children under 15 at risk of measles, while 1.3 million have been exposed to acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia since the conflict escalated in March.
"About the importance of immunisation, I think about this campaign, which is going to be started from the 15th, I think it's very, very important, because the last campaign was conducted in November 2014, and since that no campaign was conducted and because of this conflict, a lot of the people were made IDPs, more than 1.2 million, and during the IDP situation, you need to vaccinate the children," said UNICEF official Tawfiq al Ahmed.
A Saudi-led alliance has been carrying out air raids in Yemen since March to try to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and repel Houthi fighters, who they regard as proxies for their regional arch rival Iran.
More than 4,300 people have died in the conflict as hunger, disease and suffering have spread in the impoverished country.
The vaccination campaign runs until Thursday (August 20). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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