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Kenya declares polio a public health emergency

The Cabinet has now directed the Ministry of Health to fast-track the ongoing immunization exercise and ensure the entire country is covered/FILE

The Cabinet has now directed the Ministry of Health to fast-track the ongoing immunization exercise and ensure the entire country is covered/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 23 – The government has now declared the outbreak of polio in Kenya as a public health emergency.

In its eight meeting at State House Nairobi, the Cabinet noted that there has been a re-emergency of the disease despite its elimination in 1984.

The Cabinet has now directed the Ministry of Health to fast-track the ongoing immunization exercise and ensure the entire country is covered.

“Cabinet declared the outbreak a Public Health emergency and directed the Ministry of Health to fast-track the ongoing immunization exercise and ensure the entire country is covered,” the statement from State House stated.

The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government was also directed to provide security and ensure cooperation by Wananchi.

In July this year, the government launched a countrywide third national polio vaccination drive in efforts to eliminate the disease.

Health workers have been going round door to door in all parts of the Country to immunize all children under the ages of five years.

The vaccination campaign which will go for three months targets to reach close to 15.3 million children.

Earlier, Health Ministry had raised alarm over high threats of the spread of the disease in Western province, Turkana and North Eastern.
So far over 10 polio cases have been reported this year.

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