Metro's health services roll out campaign to tackle measles and rubella
The Tshwane Health District Services' (THDS) campaign against measles and rubella is set to run until September 12.
The rubella vaccine has recently been integrated into the Measles-Rubella vaccine, which is administered to children at 6 and 12 months across all public health facilities free of charge.
Acting THDS Chief Director, Modise Makhudu, said the campaign will be conducted at schools, crèches, malls and taxi ranks.
'We have observed a concerning increase in measles cases in our district, underscoring the importance of vaccination. We strongly encourage parents to have their children vaccinated against measles and rubella, given the vaccine's proven protective benefits for children,' Makhudu said.
He announced this while recapping his Chief Director's Column, noting the THDS updates in the previous quarter.
These include introducing the One Clinic, One Garden initiative at the Laudium Health Community Centre and Kameeldrift Clinic in June and July and continuing the 1.1 Million Close the Gap Campaign, an effort to get ARV treatment to 1.1 million people by December.
'This initiative seeks to expedite progress toward realising the 95-95-95 HIV targets. Specifically, the 95-95-95 strategy entails that 95% of those diagnosed receive treatment, and 95% of treated individuals achieve viral suppression, effectively halting transmission to others,' Makhudu said.
He assured their department's HIV/Aids, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Tuberculosis team that the senior management of the district fully supports their efforts.
'We are committed to reaching 54 792 HIV-positive individuals and putting them on ARV treatment in Tshwane,' he said.
Health promoter from the Gauteng Department of Health, Xihundla Ngobeni, explained that the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign is a targeted response to the ongoing measles outbreak, to increase immunisation coverage among children aged 6 months to under 15 years across the province.
'With over 370 confirmed cases in Gauteng, the Measles-Rubella campaign will run for six weeks from August 4 to September 12. [There will be] Vaccination teams deployed to schools, early childhood development centres, clinics, hospitals and community sites, so that those who haven't had the chance to receive the vaccine can receive it now,' Ngobeni said.
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