MARAWI CITY (PIA) — The Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Health (MOH) led on Monday, July 20, the regional kick-off ceremony of the Department of Health’s (DOH) synchronized polio vaccination campaign dubbed ‘Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio’.
The campaign targets to stop the poliovirus outbreak in the country, after 19 years of being polio-free, by immunizing children against the virus.
Health Minister Dr. Saffrullah M. Dipatuan said it is time to bring back the halted pace of the DOH-National Immunization program after it was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We are doing this campaign for the sake of our children in BARMM, we cannot allow them to be exposed to many health risks while facing a health crisis,” Dipatuan said.
The MOH will be conducting the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio on the five provinces of BARMM from July 20 to August 20.
Community-based public health practitioners assigned for the polio-vaccination will strictly observe health and safety measures during the entire conduct of the campaign.
The kick-off event was attended by MOH officials, BARMM Cabinet Secretary Asnin Pendatun, BARMM Assistant Executive Secretary Abdullah Cusain, UNICEF Chief of Mindanao Andrew Morris, representatives from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), World Health Officer Julie Villadolid, Rotary Club of Cotabato City South President Sadic Batua, members of the Bangsamoro IATF on Covid-19, representatives from Mindanao Humanitarian Team, and other stakeholders. (BPI/PIA ICIC)
