The World Health Organisation has officially ratified that the health officials in Ghana have successfully completed the third round of planned Polio Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) in eight regions despite a disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the W.H.O house-to-house campaigns were conducted by health professionals as well as trained volunteers who vaccinated children in no less than 8 regions.

An outstanding number of “over 4.6m eligible children (0-59 months) in the Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Volta, Upper West, Western and Western North regions,” WHO Africa said in a statement.

“These response vaccination campaigns became necessary after the country confirmed outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and the subsequent declaration of public health emergency of national concern by the Ministry of Health,” it said.

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Two other rounds had previously been completed, with the second round of the campaign was conducted from Sept. 10 - 13, with the third round between Oct. 8 - 11.

In the third round children aged between 6 to 59 months “were additionally given Vitamin A capsules which improve the functioning of the immune system and healthy growth and development of children.”

Sensitizations were also embarked upon as teams delivered “key messages on improved personal hygiene and good sanitation practices, child welfare clinic (CWC) attendance, and the adherence to COVID safety protocols by caregivers.”

“In addition, the campaign offered an opportunity for active case search for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases to further strengthen the sensitivity of the surveillance system,” according to the statement.