Community and Family Services International (CFSI) participates in the mass polio immunization campaign in the Islamic City of Marawi, and in the municipalities of Lanao del Sur, where one case of polio was confirmed last month.
In September 2019, it was confirmed that the Philippines is experiencing a polio outbreak, with polioviruses detected in different parts of the country. Poliovirus is very dangerous and highly infectious, can lead to paralysis and even death, and has no cure. While polio can affect anyone of any age, young children are at most risk of lifelong paralysis due to polio. This calls for an urgent need to protect young children against polio through vaccination.
Together with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Lanao del Sur, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Health Organization for Mindanao (HOM), and the Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA), CFSI will be deploying 256 social mobilizers to facilitate Awareness Raising Sessions and Home Visits to communities in Marawi City and all municipalities of Lanao del Sur, in preparation for the mass immunization happening on 14 to 27 October 2019. CFSI Social Mobilizers will also assist in tracking the households, with children under five years old, who received or refused immunization to ensure maximum reach of the vaccination campaign.
All children below 5 years of age must be vaccinated during this period. Multiple doses of the vaccine are needed to ensure full immunization from polio. Polio vaccine is Halal, safe, effective, and has no side effects.
UNICEF meets the Mindanao Humanitarian Team (MHT) of Iligan City, 4 October 2019, to discuss about their collaboration with CFSI, Department of Health (DOH), Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) Lanao del Sur, and Health Organization in Mindanao (HOM) for the Polio response to be conducted in Lanao del Sur.