12102: POLIO: U.N.-Supported Campaign Launched (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Dan Craig <dgcraig@att.net>

May 21, 2002
POLIO: U.N.-Supported Campaign Launched In Haiti, Dominican Republic

Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with support from UNICEF, the World
Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization, yesterday
began a nine-week, $700,000 campaign to immunize 2 million children
against polio following a recent outbreak in the two countries.
Starting yesterday in Haiti and May 31 in the Dominican Republic,
volunteers are visiting schools and following up with door-to-door
vaccinations.

"It is inadmissible that children continue dying for avoidable causes,"
said UNICEF spokeswoman Sylvana Nzirorera.

The outbreak, which consisted of 21 cases and two deaths between July
2000 and July 2001, was the first in the Americas in about a decade,
Associated Press reported yesterday (Michael Norton, AP, May 20).

http://www.unfoundation.org/unwire/current.asp#26529