07 May 2014

Time has come when the country can no longer afford to have its people suffering from ailments and ultimately die as a result of preventable causes, Serowe Sub-council chairperson has said.

Speaking during the commemoration of African vaccination week on May 6, Mr Bafana Motseothata said children should be vaccinated to boost their immune system against possible diseases and thereby fulfilling Millenium Development Goal Four (4) of reducing child morbidity and mortality.

He said where the majority of the children were vaccinated accordingly, the chances of communicable diseases spreading were minimal and the gravity of the disease on the vaccinated individual was less severe.

As a result, the Serowe Sub Council chairperson encouraged parents and other caregivers to take their children for any vaccination they qualify for.

He also challenged the traditional and medical doctors to work together towards prevention and cure of diseases unlike in the past where traditional medicine was shunned.

For her part, chief registered nurse, Ms Dimpho Keabonye revealed that about 30 per cent of the children they assessed a week prior to the commemoration were not vaccinated or not properly vaccinated.

Part of the assessment was to appreciate whether or not the children were taken a good care of, he added.

Ms Keabonye said that they had realised that some parents failed to satisfactorily respond to their questions during the assessment and she found that it was a clear indication that ignorance could be at play.

She encouraged parents and caregivers to ensure that their children were well-fed and that no preventive medications were stockpiled at their houses as they ran the risk of expiring whilst there.

Reports indicate that vaccination started in 1974 in an effort by World Health Organisation to rid the world of small pox while at the same time ensuring that all the children benefited from such a vaccination.

African vaccination week is necessary to inform the public about the importance of vaccinating their children under the age of five against preventable diseases. Ends