Yemeni Ministry of Health launched on Saturday in collaboration with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, the immunization campaign against Malaria and Polio in seven Yemeni provinces: Dhamar, Saddah, Al-Bytha, Shabwa, Aden, Lahj, and Abyan.
The six-day vaccination campaign targets about two million child in the seven aforementioned provinces, according to the website of the Health and Population Ministry.
The Minister of Health and Population, Ahmed Qasam AL-Ansi, has inaugurated the vaccination campaign along with Dr. Ghulam Rabba, and Geert Cappelaere – the representatives of WHO and UNICEF respectively-- in the central Yemeni province of Dhamar.
During the launching ceremony, Al-Ansi has pointed out that the Malaria campaign targets children under the age of 10.While Polio vaccination aims at children younger than 5 years old.
He stressed the primary importance of such vital campaigns as it protect our children of being inflicted by such deadly diseases that would have a detrimental effect on their lives.
Al-Ansi urged Yemenis to take their children to the vaccination centers, saying that is a parental duty.
For their part, Dr. Ghulam Rabba, and Geert Cappelaere have expressed the UN agencies' willingness to assist the Yemeni government with all required support to hold more immunization campaigns.
They have underlined the importance of such campaigns that protect children from deadly, infectious disease, pledging to help and provide all necessary assistance for the upcoming vaccination campaigns.
Yemen is still suffering from Malaria, which most of the countries in the world have eradicated years ago.
The National Health Media Center has launched an awareness campaign through the state-owned media institutions to raise awareness among the citizens of the vital importance of immunizing their children against the fatal diseases of Polio and Malaia and availing of the free governmental services.