Polio Awareness Week launched at Raphuti

By Joshua Motsomane

The Provincial Polio Awareness week was successfully held at Raphuti sports ground. The Mayor of Thabazimbi, Cllr PA Mosito welcomed all community and attendees. The event was opened with a short prayer rendered by Pastor Mogweng. “Today we are here to launch the national Polio Awareness Week campaign and Immunisation Awareness,” said Mayor Rosina Mogotlane on behalf of Dr Norman Mabasa, the MEC for the Department of Health and Social Development. We want polio to be eradicated, be a disease of the past. No South African child should be affected by Polio or any childhood vaccine preventable disease. “All children should receive their immunisation on time and complete the immunisation schedule”, she added. She further said that Polio eradication is a global effort, which requires all countries, big and small, to focus their efforts to attain this goal. We need commitment from the public and private health sectors, the media and communities. We encourage parents, caregivers and communities to continue supporting the immunisation programme. Our country puts the needs of children first, thus our children should not be deprived of immunisation. The Department of Health have set strategies to ensure that children are protected from the wild poliovirus. Mayor Mogotlane continues, “Today we want to say to all South Africans that not a single child, no matter how poor, how remote, must be crippled by polio. Our country cannot afford to have children crippled or killed by Polio when there is an effective and safe vaccine, which is readily available. This country must continue to demonstrate our commitment to ending polio and measles forever. It is the future of every South African child that counts. Today I want to say to all the parents, to all child minders, to all caregivers and health care workers that “Our children are the Future and have the right to be healthy and free of childhood vaccine preventable diseases”, concluded Mayor Mogotlane.  In closing, councilor Themba Mkansi of Raphuti and surrounding areas thanked all participants, councilors, officials as well as health workers for their dedication to the course of Polio Eradication. Their drive to raise public awareness around childhood immunisation is highly appreciated.

Community members attending the Polio awareness campaign held at Raputi on 6 August 2012.