Dr. Gerry Eijkemans, PWR, The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, reveals the latest public health win for our region - the elimination of rubella to public health officials.
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News of latest public health win revealed at Department of Public Health Immunization Seminar celebrating the 13th Vaccination Week in The Americas
As
regional events continue for Vaccination Week in the Americas, the Pan
American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
country
office for The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands announced a
significant public health win to members of the health sector at a
seminar this morning, held in partnership with the Department of Public
Health.
Dr. Gerry Eijkemans,
PAHO/WHO country
representative for The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands,
delivered remarks at the Expanded Programme on Immunization Unit
Seminar, one of several local activities commemorating the
13th Vaccination Week in the Americas. Her remarks included
the successes of PAHO/WHO and the Region of the Americas in the
eradication of diseases: being first to eradicate smallpox in 1973;
first to eliminate polio in 1994, and now first in the
world to be verified free of rubella/congenital rubella syndrome in
2015. A major press conference was held this morning in Washington, DC to formally announce the eradication of the disease in this region.
“The
Bahamas joins 44 countries in the region that can now celebrate the
success of strong and well-coordinated vaccination programs. This
morning
in Washington DC, at PAHO Headquarters, we can now announce that the
Americas have become the first region in the world to be declared free
of endemic transmission of rubella!” said Dr. Eijkemans.
She
further went on to congratulate the hard work and dedication of public
health workers to help ensure vaccination levels remain
high and stressed the importance that ‘now is not the time to get
complacent but to ensure that we remain vigilant in our work.’ “We must
continue to ensure our communities recognize – vaccines are the most
effective public health tool in the world.” said
Dr. Eijkemans.
L-R, Mrs. Sherry Armbrister, Senior Nursing Officer, Department of Public Health, Dr. Gerry Eijkemans, PWR, The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, Mrs. Ruth Bastian, Senior Nursing Officer, Department of Public Health, and Dr. Delon Brennen, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health show support for Vaccination Awareness Week.
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Highlighting the challenges faced by the recent measles outbreak she noted, “High
coverage
rates not only protect the vaccinated, but also the more vulnerable and
remote communities. The measles outbreak now occurring in the United
States of America is an example of what happens when vaccination rates
fall, leaving a large population of persons
susceptible to disease. In the case of a disease such as measles, is it
so contagious that it is easily transmitted and outbreaks occur
rapidly. This should be of particular concern to The Bahamas given your
largest industry is tourism and you see millions
of visitors to your shores each year.”
The
PWR remarks also addressed the connection between universal health
coverage and vaccination programs. “Vaccinations are a central
component to universal health coverage, in that it is accessible to all
who need it. We must ensure everyone in our country can benefit, no
matter where they are born, who they are, or where they live.”
Dr.
Eijkemans concluded by highlighting the important role that health care
workers have in dispelling the myths around vaccines.
“These rumors/myths harm the efforts of our country to maintain a
healthy population. Vaccines do not cause autism, attention deficit
disorder or hyperactivity. They will not overload a child’s immune
system. And idea that diseases that have disappeared no
longer require vaccinations – is completely untrue.”
PAHO/WHO
looks forward to continued collaboration and support with The Bahamas
and all our public health partners to ensure that residents “Boost
Their Power! Get Vaccinated!” for a Healthy Bahamas.
For more information on the Elimination of Rubella and Vaccination Week in the Americas, please visit:
www.paho.org/bah
About Vaccination Week in the Americas
In
2002, prompted by a measles outbreak in Venezuela and Colombia, the
health ministers of countries in the Andean region proposed
a coordinated international vaccination effort to help prevent future
outbreaks. Country participation in VWA is flexible and
based on national health priorities. Since the first celebration of
Vaccination Week in
the Americas (VWA) in 2003, hundreds of millions of individuals of all
ages have been vaccinated against a wide range of vaccine preventable
diseases such as measles, rubella, yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus,
polio, and influenza, through activities conducted
under the framework of the initiative. Multiple VWA social mobilization
campaigns have also been undertaken throughout the region and the
initiative has received ever increasing political support, including
the launch of World Immunization Week in 2012. The theme for
Vaccination Week in the Americas 2015 is “Boost Your Power! Get
Vaccinated”
About PAHO/WHO
The
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public
health agency
with more than 100 years of experience in working to improve health and
living standards of the countries of the Americas. It serves as the
specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System. It
also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas
of the World Health Organization and enjoys international recognition
as part of the United Nations system.
About PAHO/WHO in The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands
The Pan
American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) was
first established in The Bahamas in 1978 as a sub-regional office of the
Jamaica Office. By 1982, it was upgraded to a full
Country Office Status.
Since
then, an important and healthy relationship has evolved, and although
the priorities have shifted, PAHO/WHO has enjoyed a long history of
engaging and supporting
the Bahamas and Turks Caicos to ensure better health and quality of
life of the general population.