NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY WITH MEASLES: DR DALIPANDA
Supervising Permanent Secretary Health Improvement Dr Tenneth Dalipanda talking to the press while Dr Aaron Oritaimae looks on. Photo credit: SIBC.
The Supervising Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Dr Tenneth Dalipanda says the fight against measles in the country is not yet over and there is no room for complacency.
Dr Dalipanda made the statement following the death of a six months old baby in the Western Province to the illness. The latest fatality brings the measles death toll to a total of seven.
He says everyone living outside Honiara aged six months to 30 years must get a measles vaccine from the nearest health clinic, satellite site or mobile vaccination team.
Meanwhile, the Supervising Permanent Secretary for Health says mobile teams of nurses and health promotion officers are working hard to reach communities in all ten provinces.
Dr Dalipanda says they are asking parents, teachers, chiefs, youth and church leaders in the Provinces to join the Ministry to help protect the health of people and children.
Over 500,000 doses of measles-rubella vaccine have now arrived in the country.
The Ministry of Health says the doses provide enough vaccines to cover everyone aged six months to 30 years in all provinces.