By Binta Jaiteh
Aja Kandeh, communication officer of the Ministry of Health has highlighted that their staff faced hesitancy from parents to vaccinate their children against polio disease.
Speaking to The Voice exclusively, she said: “as a Ministry we faced challenges like refusals and hesitancy amongst school and refusals and hesitancy amongst parents.”
She urged the involvement of all stakeholders especially the structures of the Ministry of Basic and secondary schools (memo to all schools and also orientation and engagement of community structures influencers.
“Polio is a disease caused by a germ, which kills or cripples mainly children. Polio is not caused by a devil, Satan or a curse. You can catch polio if you drink water or eat food contaminated with faeces of an infected person. The signs and symptoms are mainly fever, which can quickly progress into weakness of the limbs (sudden onset of paralysis). The affected limbs remain paralyzed for life. (Irreversible),” she said.
According to her, National Immunization days are special days set aside to immunize all children from 0-5 years in The Gambia against polio.
“This year, an estimated 382,907 children will be vaccinated during the NIDs within the country response to the current outbreak of polio in country. Moreover, to boost immunity of our children 0-5years and kick polio out of The Gambia so that the millions of Dalasi government and its partners would spend on polio vaccination can be spent on something else for national development and NIDS are meant to supplement the routine immunization program,” she said.