UN, partners unveil measles vaccination campaign

United Nations (UN) agencies, the Ethiopian authorities and partners on Friday unveiled a nationwide integrated measles vaccination campaign targeting more than 15 million children in Ethiopia.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), in a statement, said that it had already begun contacting communities to ensure a smooth operation.

Measles, which is preventable, remains a major health problem in Ethiopia, with several outbreaks reported in different parts of the country, the UN health agency said.

Vaccinations are planned across Ethiopia for a total of 15.5 million youngsters aged nine to 59 months, including in hard-to-reach places affected by drought and conflict.

In addition, and together with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO is integrating into the campaign, a range of other lifesaving services.

These include COVID-19 jabs and catch-up immunisations for under-vaccinated children, screening for acute malnutrition, vitamin A drops and deworming against intestinal parasites.

On behalf of immunisation partners in the country, Paul Mainuka, Acting Head of WHO Ethiopia Immunisation, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Cluster, congratulated the Ethiopian Ministry of Health.

Mainuka congratulated the initiative to reduce the risk of measles outbreaks and bring ongoing eruptions to an end, “thus protecting children from preventable sickness and death caused by measles”.

(NAN)