Guyana has joined the rest of the world in the fight to ensure that persons are immunised against deadly diseases. The Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Health Department on Tuesday launched its Immunisation Week of activities.
Healthcare providers host an awareness walk on Tuesday in Berbice. In photo, workers walk through Main Street, New Amsterdam, to bring awareness of the importance of immunisation
In 2017, the number of children immunised worldwide was 116.2 million; the highest ever reported. Since 2010, 113 countries have introduced new vaccines, and more than 20 million additional children have been vaccinated.
Despite those figures, all of the targets for disease elimination including measles, rubella, and maternal and neonatal tetanus, are behind schedule, and over the last two years, the world has seen multiple outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and various other vaccine-preventable diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said most of the children missing out are those living in the poorest, marginalised and conflict-affected communities.
According to the WHO, countries must intensify efforts to ensure that everyone receives the lifesaving benefits of vaccines.
This is the seventeenth year that World Immunisation Week is being observed in the Americas and the aim is to immunise 70 million persons against some of the world’s deadliest diseases.
This year, immunisation week is being observed under the theme “Protect your community, do your part”.
In Region Six, the health department is promoting vaccines for 9-16-year-olds to prevent certain types of cancer.
Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephen said that persons are first being encouraged to ensure that all family members are immunised and then to extend that care to their neighbours. If all are to do that, he explained, the entire community will be immunised.
The Health Services Director noted that most of those who have been visiting health centres in the region to be immunised are persons from out of the country.
In fact, most persons are foreigners from Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname.
