Under the high patronage of President Michel Martelly, and the First Lady Ms. Sophia Martelly, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), in collaboration with PAHO / WHO, UNICEF, CDC and the IDB , was launched Saturday, April 21, as part of the 10th anniversary of the vaccination Week in the Americas, the First world week of immunization and intensive activities to improve the health of the Haitian children on the theme "Protect our world, get vaccinated."

The ceremony was held at the Municipal Palace of Delmas, in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the First Lady, Ms Anne Valerie Timothée Milford, of government ministers resigned, MSPP partners and some Haitian medical staff members.

The campaign aims not only to give for free to children and pregnant women vitamin A to combat malnutrition, drugs against parasites, vaccines for measles, rubella and polio, but also to allow Haiti to obtain the certification as a country free of measles and rubella.

For international partners, the ceremony paid tribute to the perseverance of the Haitian people rebuild their fragile health system and was an opportunity to discuss the necessity of extending the system in order to reduce mortality and prevent the resurgence of cases of wild virus.

Dr. Florence D. William, Minister of Public Health and Population, believes that investing in children's health is a noble and laudable initiative. In this sense, the Ministry plans to attack the problem of child health in two phases: the first is to give the first dose against polio and rubella and the second is to complete the immunization status of Haitian children.

Sophia Martelly who was represented at the ceremony, by Anne-Valerie T. Milford, believes that the vaccination of children is a priority. "Children's health is a key factor, this is a bet that we can and must win," has indicated the First Lady, who encourages parents to bring their children from 0 to 9 years in a hospital center of the free vaccination program, to receive their doses, 2,5 million children will be vaccinated.

HL/ HaitiLibre