The Ministry of Health in collaboration with its Health Partners will start a three months Tetanus Immunization of childbearing mothers between the ages of 15 to 49 years in its bid to eliminate the Tetanus disease which has been described as "the Silent Killer". The Ministry is therefore urging all childbearing mothers to go out on the specified dates to receive the vaccines and line medicaments to address this menace.

Dubbed the National Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Campaign will be conducted in three phases: April 16-25, 2007, May 21-30, 2007 and November 2007. The campaign aims to reach 90% of childbearing women to be treated with Tetanus Toxoid, Iron Folate and Albendazole, 95% of children between the ages of 6-59 months with Vitamin A and 90% of children between the ages 12-59 months with Mebendazole. All childbearing mothers are expected to take all three doses to ensure a five years protection period.

Launching the campaign on Friday, 30th March 2007, Minister of Health and Sanitation, Mrs. Abator Thomas disclosed that Tetanus accounts for the deaths of about 180,000 newborn babies and takes the lives of about 30,000 mothers each year around the world.

She explained that Tetanus can affect all ages but is more common and serious in babies and it is known as Neonatal Tetanus. She noted that it is more prevalent in rural areas where deliveries are conducted at home without the use of adequate sterile procedures. Read page 9 for the Minister’s full statement.