NCD starts campaigning for prevention of polio

National Capital District (NCD) has started campaigning for the prevention of polio through vaccination.
Apart from Madang, Morobe and Eastern Highlands, where polio was reported to have existed, NCD has joined the campaign to keep the dreaded disease out.
Moresby-South MP Justin Tkatchenko and NCD Governor Powes Parkop were at Kaugere Clinic to get polio vaccine boosters on Friday and encouraged people in Port Moresby to follow suit.
Tkatchenko said they were getting vaccinated to encourage parents to get their children under the age of five for routine vaccination in hospitals and clinics.
“Those who want to travel overseas can get vaccinated for K12.50 at Gerehu or Port Moresby General Hospitals as it is a requirement,” he said.
“Port Moresby is not a high-risk area but like they say, prevention is better than cure.”
Parkop explained to those at the clinic that PNG had been declared free from polio until this year.
“There is an outbreak of polio because of sanitation issues,”Parkop said.
“The vaccination is very easy and all it takes is two drops of the liquid vaccine under your tongue.”
Kaugere Clinic manager Janet Pongene said clinic staff had been doing routine vaccination in the Moresby-South area.
“Every child is supposed to get the vaccine when they are a month old, two months and three months old,” Pongene said.
“We are checking medical records to ensure the children receive vaccination.”
She said with the support of the United National International Children’s Emergency Fund and the Health Department, they were going around the catchment area to ensure every child below five years old in Moresby-South was vaccinated.