Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) has visited some health centres and communities to monitor and assess the first round of polio immunisation exercise of children under-five years in the metropolis.

The first round of the exercise, which is expected to end on Sunday, September 13, is aimed at boosting the children's immunity against poliovirus.

The vaccination follows a confirmed case of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in a two-year-old child from Andonyama in the Chereponi District of the North East Region on August 23, 2019, developed acute flaccid paralysis on July 23, 2019.

The health centres and communities the MCE visited included; the Kaneshie Polyclinic, Mount Zion Methodist Chapel in Korle Gonno as well as Bukom and its environs.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Sowah said the goal of his participation in the exercise was to trigger interest, spread the message and get parents and guardians to bring their children for vaccination.

He said the aim of the immunisation was to, first of all, ensure that every child under the age of five was vaccinated and ultimately eradicate polio.
"The government cannot sit aloof for children to live with curable diseases".

Mr Sowah said as part of efforts to sensitise and inform the public on the exercise, the Metro Information Services Department (ISD) had begun public announcement in all communities within the Accra Metropolis.

He called on his colleague Chief Executive Officers in all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country to join and support the vaccination teams to rally all citizens behind the exercise in order to eradicate polio from the country.

Dr Esi Therson-Cofie, the Head of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Health Directorate said for the last 10 years, Ghana was polio-free, but started recording cases in the Northern and Greater Accra Regions hence the need to vaccinate all children against the virus.

She said about 600 vaccinators and social mobilizers were engaged to visit every home in the city to undertake the exercise to protect children adding that the vaccine, which was being administered orally was safe.

Dr Therson-Cofie gave the assurance that vaccinators would observe COVID-19 protocols and urged parents to avail their children available for immunisation.