12208: Polio Vaccination Campaign (AHP) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

Friday is the third and last day of the joint Haitian-Dominican Republic vaccination campaign against polio Port-au-Prince, May 30, 2002 -(AHP)-

Haitian and Dominican health authorities have organized another day in their joint vaccination campaign against polio that will focus on the Malpasse/Jimani border area this Friday. This daylong action, part of the vaccination campaign launched by the two countries is also part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the authorities of these two republics, as advocated by Presidents Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Hippolito Mejía. The first ladies and ministers of health of the two countries as well as the two representatives of WHO/PAHO (World Health Organization/Pan-American Health Organization) will take part in this third day that constitutes the final step of the campaign. A resurgence of polio was observed on the island durfing the year 2000. This latest vaccination campaign was launched in May, 2001. AHP has learned that in almost one full year since the campaign began, no cases of polio have been recorded in the two countries. On the Haitian side of the border, three million children have been vaccinated during the period of administration of the first two doses. This campaign constitutes one of the greatest successes of the Haitian government in the area of health. This fact was reported at the international level. The office of WHO/PAHO in Washington sited the example of this campaign in several of its publications. AHP May 30, 2002 1:00 PM