Press Briefing On The Second Round Of The National Maternal  and Neonatal Tetanus Campaign.

Freetown, may 24, 07 ( MOHS) - The UNICEF Project manager on Immunisation Dr. Ismaila  Nuhu Maksha has on behalf of the UN county team congratulated government and its partners for reaching a national coverage of 85 % during the first round of the national maternal and neonatal tetanus campaign. Addressing news men on the second round of the integrated maternal and neonatal tetanus Elimination Campaign at the conference hall of the ministry of health and sanitation, Dr. Makasha expressed appreciation to the health ministry for their determination in ensuring that maternal child survival is central in the national development agenda.

He reminded members of the public that for the tetanus  vaccine to be effective more than one dose will be required stressing the need to embank on the second and third rounds of the campaign to ensure that the target groups are protected for at least  five years .

He said the UN remains convinced that as a Millennium Develop Goal the improvement of maternal and child health is paramount for every government.

The UN system Dr. Maksha added is ready to support the government in its effort to meet its international obligation to ensure that each child has the right to life survival and development.

He called on members of the press to use their various out lets and networks to encourage all eligible women to receive the second and third doses of tetanus vaccine  to help make pregnancy and delivery safer for all women and new born babies .

The Deputy Programme Manager Maternal Child Health Aide  and Expanded Programme on Immunization  Dr. Lynda Foray disclosed that one hundred and eighty thousand (180,000) babies  die of neonatal tetanus each year while maternal tetanus takes the life of about thirty thousand mothers world wide .

She said during the first round of the campaign over one million women received tetanus marklate and about seven hundred thousand were given deworming tablets and vitamin A supplementation nation worldwide.

The second round of the campaign Dr. Foray added is only for women of child bearing age of fifteen to forty nine years and encouraged women to come out for the intervention which will  be administer free of charge .

Dr. Foray appealed to the press to disseminate key and accurate messages to the people in the ministry’s strive against the elimination of what she described as an invisible killer.