some picturesA well-organized event was held Saturday in Somalia’s stable region of Puntland where the Ministry of Health launched the yearly event titled “Child Health Days” sponsored by UNICEF, Radio Garowe reports.
Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, the president of Puntland, attended the event alongside senior government officials including: Health Minister Dr. Ali Abdullah Warsame; Planning and International Cooperation Daud Mohamed Omar; Information Minister Abdihakim Ahmed Guled; and Dr. Abdi Hassan Jimale, Puntland's State Minister for Democratization Process and Federal Affairs.
The event kicked with Health Minister Warsame giving President Farole a tour of the Ministry of Health building, where Puntland's leader praised the "self-help attitude" of Health Ministry employees who donated money to help construct a part of the facility.
Minister Warsame welcomed the President’s delegation into his office, where the Health Minister briefed the President on ongoing and planned projects, as well as the significance of the Child Health Days vaccination campaign.
Teams sent to remote villages
Dr. Warsame, Puntland’s health minister, gave a speech at the conference hall where Health Ministry officials presented a brief video and provided statistics about the health situation in Puntland.
The minister explained that the health teams will be deployed at major towns and at remote villages to ensure deliver of the vaccination to mothers and children.
Puntland health officials indicated that 2,300 mothers and children during the first phase. However, the entire campaign is supposed to reach upwards of 170,000 children and 150,000 mothers between the ages of 15 and 45 years.
UNICEF praised, WHO criticized
Puntland President Abdirahman Farole was welcomed to the microphone by Health Minister Ali Abdullahi Warsame, with President Farole thanking all organizers, participants, health teams and UNICEF, which funded the Child Health Days campaign in recent years.
President Farole called on Somali parents to take part of the “free vaccination campaign for all children,” while expressing appreciation to the Ministry of Health and to UNICEF for organizing this vaccination campaign.
Puntland’s leader called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to "change its conduct" and criticized WHO's inability to manage tangible health projects that benefit the people of Puntland.
The Child Health Days vaccination campaign has been held in Puntland over the past five years successfully.
Located in northeast Somalia, Puntland State is a stable region with its own government, security forces and politics, while Puntland actively supports a federal system for Somalia.
GAROWE ONLINE
