UNICEF: Campaign to eradicate polio in Côte d'Ivoire

ADIAKE, Cote dIvoire, 3 March 2009 UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Rotary International called for renewed mobilization to eradicate polio in Côte dIvoire last week, as they launched the first round of a new immunization campaign in Adiaké.

Close to 6 million children have been targeted for vaccination throughout the country. The campaign is part of a synchronized effort to eradicate polio in eight West African nations: Côte dIvoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria. The first of two rounds of immunization wrapped up yesterday.

In a push to curb this paralyzing and often fatal disease, UNICEF and partners joined forces with the Ministry of Health to garner community support for the National Immunization Days.

UNICEF mobilized close to $1 million in support for the first phase of the mass vaccination campaign in Côte dIvoire. The government provided staff and logistical support, including 32,747 vaccinators, 1,637 outreach supervisors, 1,620 social mobilizers, 415 district coordinators and 166 monitors.

To read the full story, visit http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cotedivoire_48392.html

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• UNICEF
• Côte
• d'Ivoire
• polio
• Africa
• Benin
• Burkina
• Faso
• Mali
• Niger
• Ghana
• Togo
• Nigeria