Kumasi, Ghana, 24 october 2010 -- The 2010 measles supplemental immunization activities (SIA) in Ghana received a major boost last friday when a 28-member team from the UN Foundation led by the President of the Board of Directors, Mr. Ted Turner, joined health teams in two sub-districts in Kumasi capital city of the Ashanti region in preparatory activities towards the campaign scheduled from 3-6 November. Other members of the Board in the team include former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, former Director General of WHO, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former US Secretary of State, Andrew Young, Mr. Timothy Wirth, Elizabeth Dewbery and Karty Calvin. Some of the Board members came with their spouses.

Ghana-unf-board1Dr. Opoku Adusei, the Kumasi metro director of health services made the final briefing on preparations underway which include training sessions, logistics distribution and social mobilization in the various sub-metros towards the campaign. Commenting on the short presentation by the Ghana team, Dr. Gro Bruthland said Ghana's performance is a demonstration to the world especially the skeptics that the measles control initiative launched a few years ago has yielded positively with measles elimination underway and total eradication is possible in Africa

At the Manhyia health centre, the Board members observed a training session of 50 vaccinators on the conduct of the campaign. The training session emphasized cold chain maintenance, reconstitution of the vaccine, administration of the vaccine, administration of vitamin A capsules, use of the safety box for appropriate waste disposal, recording of all children vaccinated and the management of any adverse events following the immunization (AEFI).. To upgrade their skills and ensure a quality campaign, the participants demonstrated the lessons learnt through role-plays in which some children were vaccinated.

Ghana-unf-board2The Board members ended their participation in a program at Tafo, another suburb in the Kumasi metro when they joined the chiefs and people of the area to educate the public on the importance of the campaign. Before joining the durbar, they paid a brief courtesy call on the Chief and his Elders at the chief's palace. Mr. Annan later inspected a guard of honour mounted by a parade of cadet corps from the senior high school in the area. Mr. Annan in a brief remark thanked the chief of the area and his Elders for the warm reception and assured the people of Ghana of the Board's continued support to ensure measles is finally eliminated. He called on all to get actively involved in the campaign to ensure all eligible children (0-59 months) get the measles vaccine and the vitamin A capsules in the November campaign.

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Mr. Stanley Diamenu
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Ms. Sophia Twum-Barima
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