The government of Guinea-Bissau is launching a free vaccination campaign against meningitis A and Covid-19 on Thursday that will cover the entire country until the end of the month, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.
According to the government, the campaign targets adults aged 18 years and over for the Covid-19 vaccine and children aged one to seven years for the meningitis A vaccine.
The official launch of the campaign is scheduled for Thursday at the Ministry of Health in the presence of Minister Domingos Malu, and the vaccination plan will continue until September 29 throughout Guinea-Bissau.
Vaccinations are being administered “in health care settings and other appropriately designated public settings,” and the Department of Health encourages all eligible people to get vaccinated “to protect themselves, their families and their communities,” as mentioned in the statement.
The government emphasizes the importance of vaccination against meningitis due to the fact that Guinea-Bissau borders African countries in an area where the disease is widespread, “characterized by factors favoring the occurrence of epidemics, such as travel and large population movements, poor living conditions, overcrowding and others.”
Meningitis, he explains, is caused by various types of bacteria or viruses that cause inflammation of the thin protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord, of infectious origin.
Transmission occurs from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets or the patient’s cough, and symptoms include high fever, headaches, difficulty looking down, and photophobia.
The campaign “aims to help eliminate the meningitis A epidemic as a public health problem with the goal of vaccinating all children aged one to seven years.”
Regarding Covid-19, despite declaring an end to the epidemic, the Guinean government is offering vaccination to “the entire adult population”, warning that this is the most effective way to avoid serious manifestations of the disease.
The Government of Guinea enjoys technical and financial support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), the people and government of Japan, the Bill & Mellinda Gates Foundation, Solina, the Center. on Disease Prevention and Control in Africa, among other partners.