ROUND TABLE MEETING

Delegations of the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare and Lions Clubs International discussing strategies for the forthcoming campaign of measles and rubella immunization week in Tanzania.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A round-table conference hosted by Ministry of Health & Social Welfare and attended by a delegation of Lions was held in Dar es Salaam to discuss Lions' participation in the forthcoming national immunization week of Measles and Rubella in Tanzania.

In a nutshell, the meeting discussed about Lions' participation in the immunization campaign in terms of advocacy, communication and social mobilisation. The country-wide immunization programme will take off from Wednesday 17th September to 23rd.

On international level, Lions Clubs International has partnered with GAVI Alliance, Bill & Melinda  Gates Foundation and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) in the international campaign against the dreadful killer disease of measles and rubella.

Info on the infection: Measles is a highly contagious viral illness characterised by fever, malaise, rash, cough, coryza and conjuctivitis. The virus is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions. the virus remains active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours.

Measles outbreaks can result in epidemics that cause many deaths, especially among young malnourished children.

At the two-hour meeting, the coordinator of  the campaign from Lions Clubs, PDG Lion Abdul Majid Khan introduced all the Lions delegates and continued to give long history of how Lions Clubs International started and the various ways it helps the community. He said that the Lions Clubs were happy to see that their services would be required in the national campaign of immunization of Measels and Rubella in Tanzania.

The Manager of the campaign Dr. Dafrossa Lyimo explained in details the entire immunization campaign which will take place in the country in September this year. The regional micro plan workshop will be done in May 2014 to have more precise resources needs.

In general, the objectives of the integrated measles rubella campaign in Tanzania is to * immunize at least 95% of children aged 9 months to 15 years; * immunize at least 95% of children aged 0-59 months with tOPV (oral polio vaccine); * administer vitamin A supplement to 95% of children aged 6- 59 months; * administer de-worming tablets to 95% of children aged 12 to 59 months.

Story & Pix by Abdul Hai

Lions Delegation led by Coordinator PDG Lion Abdul Majid Khan (2nd Left), next to him 2nd VDG Lion haiderali Gangji and others at the meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Dr. Dafrossa Lyimo Programme Manager of  Immunization and Vaccines Development in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. She led the delegation of the Ministry staff.