A sub-national immunisation campaign against polio was on Friday, launched at the KMC grounds in the Kanifing Municipality.

At least 265,000 children are needlessly crippled every year in the developing countries by the disease. However, the disease is gradually being eradicated in many countries including The Gambia. The disease - poliomyelitis – is a serious infectious disease of the nerves in the spine which kills and maims children. It is one of the nine diseases included in the Expanded Immunisation Programme of the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, which also comprises TB, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, yellow fever, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus Influenzae type B.

The five-day anti-polio campaign was initiated by the Rotary Club International, in collaboration with the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare. The Taiwanese-government US$150,000 funded exercise, which commenced on June 15, will wrap up today in the country’s biggest region. The exercise in the region was influenced by the number of unvaccinated children during the previous campaigns, the existence of major international land, air and seaport in the region which expose people to a higher risk of importation of the wild poliovirus into the country, and the fact that the district has the highest population density, with difficulty in accessibility.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Tamsir Mbowe, Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, stressed that there is no room for complacency despite The Gambia being declared a polio free state.

According to him, this was why the campaign was targeted at Western Region, which is also a host to nationals from foreign countries, where the polio virus is still circulating.

He informed the gathering that the country has seen several national immunisations in which over 95 per cent of the target population of 0-5 years had been vaccinated against polio.

SoS Mbowe then thanked the Taiwanese Embassy, Rotary Club International, the WHO, Unicef, parastatals, NGOs and the private sector for their support towards eradicating polio.

Dr Patrick Chang, Taiwanese Ambassador to The Gambia, expressed his government’s delight to be associated with the anti-polio campaign. Ambassador Chang assured the gathering of Taiwan’s resolve to support the country’s health sector in a bid to enhance its service delivery system.

Dr Mariatou Jallow, Director of Health Services, said the campaign will consolidate the success gained in the fight against polio and further reduce the risk of importation of the wild polio virus into The Gambia. Dr Jallow then elaborated: "During the five-day exercise, vaccination teams will move from house-to-house to administer the polio vaccine to all children 0 – 59 months and also refer children less than 5-years-old, pregnant women and the physically impaired who do not have Long Lasting Impregnated bed nets to a collection point for the net."

In May 1988, the World Health Assembly committed the WHO to achieving the goal of global eradication of poliomyelitis by 2000.