Polio eradication campaign

This week, as a hospital, we are actively involved in the accelerated polio campaign the government has launched to boost oral polio vaccine coverage in the whole Country.

We are conducting vaccination to all the children reporting to our hospital, and we have joined public health campaigns in the schools around Chaaria.

Yesterday I have been the guest of honor at a function held at Chaaria open market, under the patronage of the County Ministry of Health: I have been together with the Medical Officer of Health of the Constituency, various Health Officers of the District and the teachers of the primary schools of the neighborhood.

It was a very dusty and windy day in the open market, but people attending were many.

I have delivered a very simple speech, mainly addressing the hundreds of school-children present at the function: in my simple Kiswahili, I have explained the routes of transmission of the viral infection we wish to eradicate, the importance of hygiene in the prevention strategy, the central role of hand washing after using the latrine and before meals.

Thereafter, I have used simple words to describe the main symptoms of polio, which can be synthesized in acute flaccid paralysis below the age of 15 years.

I have recommended children and parents to rush to hospital in case of any sign of weakness at the lower limbs.

I have encouraged everybody to receive the vaccine, stressing the fact that it is not dangerous.

I have also addressed some myths which make people fear the vaccine: for instance the one saying that the oral polio vaccine contains contraceptives making the girls sterile.

After the function all the children present have received the vaccine.

Kenya is not yet free from polio and resurgence of the disease is mainly related to importation of wild viruses from neighboring war torn Countries (like South Sudan and Somalia), where vaccination has stopped for many years due to conflicts.

Nevertheless we are fully involved and motivated in order to make Kenya a polio-free Nation.

Bro Dr Joseph Gaido