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UN-backed measles campaign vaccinates over 5 million Afghan children

UN-backed measles campaign vaccinates over 5 million Afghan children

In a bid to fight the most preventable cause of death among children in Afghanistan, the country’s government, with support from two United Nations agencies, successfully vaccinated more than 5 million children during a recent month-long campaign.

The campaign – backed by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners – administered the measles vaccine to children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years, an age bracket that has the highest risk of measles mortality.

“The progress made in immunization efforts underlines steady improvements in the infrastructure and systems available to health teams as part of the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI),” UNICEF said yesterday of the campaign held across the country in June.

The improvements include investments in cold chain systems – the equipment and training required to ensure the safe storage and transport of vaccine – and also training of vaccinators themselves. The increased use of women vaccinators over the last 18 months also improved access to households.

UNICEF said there has been a notable reduction in the number of reported cases of measles in Afghanistan, “from over 400 per month in January 2002 to less than 50 per month by mid-2003.”

The recent campaign has ensured that the Afghan Government’s target for measles immunization for this year has been fully met, although routine vaccination activities will continue in order to maintain the necessary coverage levels to interrupt the transmission of the virus, UNICEF noted.