29 July 2010
Issued by the National Department of Health.
The health and well-being of children will come under sharp focus when the health department embarks on the National Immunisation Awareness Week from 2-8 August. During this period, the department and its partners will be mobilising the public to immunise children as part of reducing child mortality caused by diseases such as polio, whooping cough and diphtheria. According to the health minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, immunisation forms an essential part of primary healthcare, which is crucial in preventing the onset of diseases among young children in particular.
During the awareness week, the department will inform and educate the public about the available vaccines at various health centres as well as the benefits of immunisation. The department will encourage parents and caregivers to take their children to health facilities for screening their immunisation status on their Road-to-Health Cards as well as offer catch-up vaccinations for all children not fully immunised for their age.
According to current health reports on children (2008/09), the health department achieved 88,8% immunisation coverage for children under one year of age nationally while 73% of children under the age five were immunised in the same period. No measles outbreak was reported for 2008/9.
Despite the non-occurrence of measles in the 2008/09 period, the department strongly believes that the immunisation of South African children against measles will have to be strengthened going forward.
The provincial health departments have planned various activities for the immmunisation awareness week such as community, school, clinics and hospital visits as well as conduct immunisation catch-up activities with this year's theme:"Immunisation saves lives: Don't wait, vaccinate".
For more information please contact Fidel Hadebe on 012 395-8493 or 079 517 3333.