Special immunisation programme against polio, measles to be launched

KIGALI - The Ministry of Health (MOH) is set to launch a three-day immunisation campaign against polio and measles in a bid to curb infant mortality rates – the Minister, Dr. Richard Sezibera revealed yesterday. In a televised forum, Sezibera singled out measles as one of the deadly killer diseases of infants, adding that efforts to combat it have recently been successful however; the disease has become a threat in neighbouring countries. “Most Rwandans living at the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border and areas of Rusizi normally do not take their children for immunisation and Polio has become a threat in neighbouring Uganda, Burundi and other countries. This is their chance to be immunised.” “Our national immunisation strategy reaches 95 percent of the population but this initiative intends to follow up on the five percent or 20,000 children,” Sezibera explained.