News Archive
HKI Promotes Vitamin A Supplementation During National Health Campaign in Sierra Leone
Freetown, Sierra Leone - Helen Keller International (HKI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, launched a Mother and Child Health Week on May 23, 2011 that is synchronized with the WHO-led initiative, African Vaccination Week (AVW). The campaign is an opportunity for participating partners to strengthen national immunization programs.
The goal of the week-long campaign is to improve maternal and child health in Sierra Leone by reaching every single child under the age of five with a high-impact, life-saving package of interventions. The package includes Vitamin A Supplementation(VAS), Polio Immunization, and de-worming with Albendazole for children under five years old, as well as Tetanus Toxoid for women of child bearing age (15-49 years). Similar campaigns have helped increase immunization and VAS coverage to nearly 90%, which is a remarkable achievement.
