Time to get your jab
The Ministry of Health and Social Services, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef, yesterday launched National Vaccination Week with the theme 'Vaccine Works, Do Your Part'.
Speaking at the launch, deputy health minister Juliet Kavetuna reminded the public that vaccinations reduce child illnesses and deaths.
This year's National Vaccination Week runs from 4 June until 8 June and vaccinations are done throughout the country.
The targeted age groups are children under five years and childbearing women between 15 and 49.
“On behalf of the health ministry I want to call upon all parents, caregivers and the community at large to take children with their health passports to their nearest health facilities and temporary vaccination points to have them vaccinated throughout the country,” Kavetuna said.
At the same occasion she launched the national guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, which will ensure the provision of high-quality PMTCT services.
According to her these guidelines have been revised in line with the WHO recommendations of 2013 and the 2014 Anti-retroviral-Treatment (ART) guidelines recommending ART for life for all pregnant and breastfeeding HIV-positive women irrespective of their CD4 count or clinical stages.
“The revised guidelines maintain the recommendation that HIV-infected mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months before initiating supplementary feeding and can continue breastfeeding until the infant is 12 months of age or longer, depending on availability of nutritionally adequate foods for the child,” she said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Speaking at the launch, deputy health minister Juliet Kavetuna reminded the public that vaccinations reduce child illnesses and deaths.
This year's National Vaccination Week runs from 4 June until 8 June and vaccinations are done throughout the country.
The targeted age groups are children under five years and childbearing women between 15 and 49.
“On behalf of the health ministry I want to call upon all parents, caregivers and the community at large to take children with their health passports to their nearest health facilities and temporary vaccination points to have them vaccinated throughout the country,” Kavetuna said.
At the same occasion she launched the national guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, which will ensure the provision of high-quality PMTCT services.
According to her these guidelines have been revised in line with the WHO recommendations of 2013 and the 2014 Anti-retroviral-Treatment (ART) guidelines recommending ART for life for all pregnant and breastfeeding HIV-positive women irrespective of their CD4 count or clinical stages.
“The revised guidelines maintain the recommendation that HIV-infected mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months before initiating supplementary feeding and can continue breastfeeding until the infant is 12 months of age or longer, depending on availability of nutritionally adequate foods for the child,” she said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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