Immunization campaign began for an “Ecuador free of polio, measles and rubella 2023” – Ministry of Public Health

2023-05-02 20:25:51

Guayaquil, May 2, 2023

This Tuesday, May 2, the National Government through the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) presented the Ecuador free of poliomyelitis, measles and rubella 2023 campaign, at the Ileana Espinel Educational Unit in Guayaquil. With the active participation of teachers, parents, caregivers and citizens, the aim is to immunize around 3.7 million children between 1 and 12 years of age for 10 weeks.

The campaign aims to protect children, achieve immunity, avoid serious illnesses and mortality. In addition, reduce the percentage of the population that is not vaccinated and that is at high or very high risk for these infectious diseases in 85% of the cantons of Ecuador.

The event was attended by the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso; vice president, Alfredo Borrero; Minister of Health, José Ruales; in addition, Erwin Ronquillo, technical secretary of Ecuador Grows Without Child Malnutrition; Luz Ángela Melo, representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef ​​Ecuador); Óscar Barreneche, representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in Ecuador; and Daniel de la Torre, representative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

José Ruales indicated that this campaign is inaugurated simultaneously in all the provinces of the country. “We want to prevent our children from getting polio, measles and rubella again.”

He added that the “campaign has the purpose of eliminating the risk of reintroduction of these diseases that have already been eliminated in the country. We seek to eliminate measles and rubella in Ecuador and contribute to the eradication of poliomyelitis from around the world,” he said.

For his part, Guillermo Lasso pointed out that today marks the start of this vaccination campaign, which means that together we seek a healthy future for our children, vaccines multiply well-being, provide immunity and keep children away from preventable diseases.

Lasso requested to spread this message with families, neighbors, schools, and called on mothers and fathers to take their children to be vaccinated. “In addition to vaccination, we have the national objective of reducing chronic child malnutrition, well-nourished and vaccinated children are healthy and happy children,” he pointed out.

For the success of the campaign, inter-institutional strategies have been outlined together with the Ministries of Education and Economic and Social Inclusion with the participation of more than 80,000 people that make up a total of 40,000 vaccination brigades that will visit 15,900 educational units, 6,000 Child development. In 1,978 health centers, the application of doses will be maintained permanently.

Esteban Bernal, Minister of Economic and Social Inclusion, emphasized that personnel from all types of early childhood care will join the campaign, which cares for an average of 280,000 boys and girls. While, María Brown, Minister of Education, thanked the MSP for the coordination so that the vaccination brigades enter all the institutions of the country.

The National Government, through the Ministry of Public Health, invested for this campaign around 8.2 million dollars for biologicals, syringes, mobilization of brigades and communication actions with the emblematic figure for children’s health, Máximo.

Vaccination is free and there is a sufficient stock of vaccines for this campaign.

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