The fourth edition of UNICEF’s ‘Governors’ Forum’ was launched in Bafoussam on April 29.
Despite recently attaining the status of non-exporter of the wild poliomyelitis virus, Cameroonian health authorities and their technical partners are not relenting in raising public awareness on the deadly disease. Launching the fourth edition of the ‘Governors’ Forum’ on “Lobbying for leadership and partnership for the eradication of polio, promotion of routine vaccination and health of the Cameroonian child,” on April 29, 2015, in Bafoussam, the Governor of the West Region, Awa Fonka Augustine, recalled that vaccination was free and a right for every pregnant woman and child.
While commending the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, for the initiative, he noted that 86 per cent of parents in the region were now aware of the impact of the affliction after 14 mass vaccination campaigns were carried out since the discovery of two cases of wild polio in 2014. He added that only 7 per cent of children in the region were yet to be vaccinated. As evidence of government’s seriousness about fighting polio, Governor Fonka announced that he will lead the regional combat strategy, while Senior Divisional Officers do same in the divisions.
Speaking earlier, the UNICEF Resident Representative for Cameroon, Felicité Tchibindat, appreciated government efforts made in containing polio since cases of the wild virus were discovered in some parts of the country last July. She warned that it was not time to rest on laurels, but to strengthen routine vaccination, especially with the imminent introduction of injectable vaccination in replacement of oral type. According to her, the solidarity that exists among the people of West Region is a plus in guarding against the affliction.
On his part, the Government Delegate to the Bafoussam City Council, Emmanuel Nzete, appealed to the media to make good publicity of the anti-polio campaign so that parents can get their children vaccinated. The event in the Conference Hall of the Governor’s office was attended among others by senators, parliamentarians, mayors, Senior Divisional Officers and clergymen from the region – all stakeholders in the onslaught against the poliomyelitis virus.
