Announced on Friday August 12, 2022, during a press conference in Lomé, the national poliomyelitis response vaccination campaign for children aged 0 to 59 months effectively started on August 15, 2022, nationwide. extent of the national territory. Previously, a launching ceremony took place last Saturday at the CMS of Togblékopé in the commune of Agoè-Nyivé 4. An opportunity for the Ministry in charge of health to share information with the authorities, community leaders and to solicit their commitment and support, as well as their mobilization for the success of the operation. It was in the presence of actors from the health sector, various personalities, as well as technical and financial partners.
Infectious diseases are a real public health problem. They are an obstacle to the survival and development, especially of children. This is why the government, for several years, has made it a priority and is sparing no effort to support actions aimed at the elimination and eradication of these diseases, including poliomyelitis. Indeed, in October 2007, the country was certified free of indigenous wild poliovirus. After this certification, efforts were directed towards actions aimed at maintaining this status. But unfortunately, the current situation is marked by the circulation of poliovirus derived from vaccine strain type 2, the mutated form in the sub-region. Thus, in May 2022, two (2) cases of the same virus were confirmed, including one (1) in the Oti district (Savannah region) and another environmental in the Gulf district (Savannah region). Greater Lome). This reappearance of the virus undermines all the efforts undertaken by the government. This justifies, according to the organizers, the present national campaign of vaccination of response against poliomyelitis in children from 0 to 59 months which will be made in two passages. The first round started yesterday throughout the national territory. This passage according to the door-to-door strategy will be used to actively search for cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) in households.
Leave no child at the mercy of disease
On the occasion of the launch of this vaccination campaign, the Minister in charge of Health, Pr Moustafa Mijiyawa asked the entire population to give a warm welcome to the vaccinators and to ensure that all children from 0 to 59 months are vaccinated. He indicated that after the first round, from August 15 to 18, 2022, a second round will be held 4 weeks later. ” This vaccination is essential, because we want to eradicate poliomyelitis once and for all. You know very well that she kills our children and when she does not kill, she gives them permanent paralysis., he specified. For Professor Mijiyawa, the vaccine is safe, effective and free. As a result, the government’s ambition is to leave no child at the mercy of this resurgence disease. ” There have been enormous advances in the context of vaccination against poliomyelitis and Togo had also received a certificate in this regard. The problem we face today is that for 3 years there have been a few rare cases of poliomyelitis linked to a virus that has mutated. This is what justifies this new vaccination campaign”he added.
For her part, the resident representative of the WHO in Togo, Dr Diallo Fatoumata Binta Tidiane indicated that her structure recommended the judicious use of this new genetically healthy and very effective vaccine to respond to the mutated form of the strain of type 2. For the success of this campaign, she said that the partners have mobilized more than 2,300,000 dollars to support the Togolese government, in order to vaccinate around 1,800,000 children under 5 years old. Dr Diallo Fatoumata urged all actors involved to mobilize more to vaccinate all children to achieve the 95% target.
A symbolic vaccination session by the Minister in charge of Health closed the launch ceremony of the campaign.
The country boosts its vaccination coverage with safe and effective
At the press conference on Friday, it was notified that the present campaign follows two cases detected last May in the Gulf and Oti districts. This is to stop the circulation of the virus and to strengthen the immunity of children in the face of the resurgence of the disease. The analysis of the risks of spreading the poliovirus, following the confirmation of the two cases, concluded on the need to organize a national vaccination campaign to respond to the disease in two rounds. This, in order to strengthen the immunity of children aged 0 to 5 years.
For the resident representative of the WHO in Togo, Dr Diallo Fatoumata Binta Tidiane, if we are still talking about poliomyelitis, while in 2020, the African region had celebrated “ free polio virus sauvage”, it is because there are still pockets of resistance where children are not vaccinated. To this end, she indicated that the virus had the possibility of mutating and infesting other children. ” Faced with this situation which is not at all radiant, we as WHO and all the partners, we have again mobilized to support all the countries, in order to move towards the end of the disease. The WHO has recommended strengthening epidemiological surveillance to detect all cases. But also, to organize vigorous vaccination campaigns to reach all children with the slogan “zero unvaccinated children”. The partners have mobilized substantial resources for this purpose,” she indicated. With regard to Togo, the representative of the WHO explained that the partners (the global alliance GAVI, the WHO, the World Center for Disease Control (CMCM), as well as UNICEF) are in the process of support the government to have two campaigns. This, in order to cover the whole country. The second round is scheduled four weeks into the first vaccination campaign.
Firmin DEFALEON