Gambian campaign aims to vaccinate all eligible children against measles, rubella

A vaccination campaign starting on Monday in Gambia aims to vaccinate all eligible children in the African country against measles and rubella, Gambia media reported.

The campaign was launched over the weekend by the Gambian government with support from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the Daily Observer reported on Monday.

Health Minister Omar Sey said that the campaign is targeting children aged 9 months to 14 years, with the goal of vaccinating over 800,000 people across the country. Vitamin A supplementation would also be given to children from 6 months to 5 years.

"While global measles deaths have decreased by 75 percent worldwide in recent years, measles is still common in many developing countries," the minister said, adding that millions are affected by measles each year.

Measles and rubella are life-threatening. Measles alone is putting 400 million lives at risk in Africa, he said.

Sey said that a combination of routine measles vaccines for children and mass immunization campaigns are key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths.

"Investing in measles and rubella prevention will provide the much-needed boost to improve women's and children's health, and help accelerate global progress in controlling two life-threatening diseases," said UNICEF representative Rupert Leighton. Endi