Third Round of Diphtheria Immunization Campaign starts in TajikistanDUSHANBE, 29 October 2012 - The Government of Tajikistan, with support from UNICEF and WHO, starts the third phase of a national diphtheria vaccination campaign today. It will be carried out from 29 October – 3 November for children and young people aged 13-21 years. 
At the end of September of this year, the second phase of the national diphtheria campaign was conducted for more than 2.3 million children and young people aged 7-21 years, while in the month of April, the campaign vaccinated almost 700,000 children aged 3-6 years against diphtheria. This immunisation campaign received funding of US $ 1 million from a generous grant made by the Government of the Russian Federation through UNICEF and WHO, thus matching the Government of Tajikistan’s own allocation to this campaign amounting to TJS 5 million (equal to US$ 1 million). WHO and UNICEF are working closely with the Tajik Government to raise public awareness of the third phase of the vaccination campaign through various activities, including broadcasting public service announcements on television and radio, to ensure that every child in the country is reached. The teams consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, and other international partners involved in the monitoring process will visit communities with limited access to regular health services, such as those living in remote areas, and including urban areas to monitor the situation across the country. The joint effort and coordinated work of all sectors of society is a key element in increasing the effectiveness of the results in preventing diphtheria. The disease can only be prevented through immunization! For further information, please contact:
World Health Organization in Tajikistan
UNICEF Tajikistan
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