Immunisation – nila for babies – is everybody’s business: WHO
A child being immunised for polio at SIBC on Friday
No Solomon Islands children should die from an immunisation-preventable disease – that is the message coming out of today’s immunisation event at SIBC.
Launching the National EPI Communication Strategy 2017-2020 at SIBC today, authorities said immunisation was “everybody’s responsibility” and urged parents of the Solomon Islands to immunisation their children.
Authorities are aiming to have 90 to 95 per cent of all children in the Solomon Islands immunised by 2020.
The strategy is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.
Speaking at today’s event, World Health Organisation representative Sevil Huseynova said the aim should be that no Solomon Islander should die from a disease that could be prevented by immunisation.
While acting under secretary of health improvement Dr Nemia Bainivalu said: “lets do the right thing for the children of the Solomon Islands, and the country.”
He also highlighted the 2014 measles outbreak in the Solomon Islands as an example of what could happen without immunisation.
The strategy itself comprises two levels.
The first is at the national level, involving developing plans, templates, tools and material to be adopted by the provincial teams.
The second phase will see each province develop a context-specific plan.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services said Malaita Province was selected as the pilot province because of existing survey knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to immunisation.