THE inconsistent supply of child registry books to rural health centres has resulted in children missing out on registration.
This was revealed during a presentation by Jean Weir of Wycliffe, a non-governmental organisation based in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province, at the pediatric specialty meeting on the last day of the Medical Symposium last Friday.
Volunteers from the group had assisted health patrol officers to immunise children in some rural areas and had found that the number of children in those areas were higher than the figures given from the 2000 national census.
As a result, there was a shortage of vaccine to use for the immunisation exercise and that was pointed out as one of the main problem faced in the rural areas.
The distance to travel to the nearest health centre was one barrier parents faced for not have their child or children immunised.
It was highlighted in the meeting that when health patrol officers did not visit villages to immunise children, parents had to travel for long distances to get to the nearest health centre or hospital.
Concerns were raised during the meeting that the child registry books must be used at the clinics and health centres to register children.
The population of children in an area will help the Health Department supply adequate vaccines for immunisation exercises.

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