By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

24 April 2025- The North West Department of Health said it joins the continent in observing the Africa Vaccination Week (AVW) from 24-30 April 2025,through a campaign of tracking and inviting parents/guardians of children who may have missed immunisation doses.

North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari urges parents, guardians and care givers to monitor children’s “Road to Health” cards to ensure that all necessary vaccines for ailments such as Polio, Measles, Mumps and others are duly administered to children. Lehari said tracking children who missed immunisations involves systematically identifying and referring those who are not up-to-date with their recommended vaccinations.

“This is crucial for preventing serious diseases. Our health-care workers play a key role in identifying missed immunisations during home visits and at clinics by checking vaccination records. The campaign which takes place under the theme: “This week 24 – 30 April 2025, For All Is Possible”, is a powerful call to action.

“It affirms that, together, we can reach every last child, strengthen health systems, and restore and expand routine immunization services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It further aims to reach zero-dose children through accelerated implementation of big catch-up initiatives,” he said.

Lehari further said African Vaccination Week is celebrated annually as part of World Immunization Week. He added that, it is a renewal of a commitment by the World Health organisation (WHO) to achieving equitable access to lifesaving vaccines for every child, every community and every country.

“The campaign provides an opportunity to boost momentum and focus on specific actions such as raising awareness on how immunisation saves lives. Increasing vaccination coverage to prevent disease outbreaks, reaching underserved and marginalised communities.

“In particular, those living in remote areas, deprived urban settings, fragile states and strife-torn regions with existing and newly available vaccines and reinforcing the medium- and long-term benefits of immunisation, giving children a chance to grow up healthy, go to school and improve their life prospects,” said Lehari.

taungdailynews@gmail.com