CHILDREN OF ARTSAKH GET VACCINATION AGAINST MEASLES
Laura Grigorian

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
21 March 07

On March 17 the NKR minister of health Zoya Lazarian, the chief
executive of Karabakh Telecom Ralf Yeirikian, and the director
of the Millennium Armenian Children’s Vaccination Fund Narine
Hairapetian held a news conference to mark the introduction of the
vaccine against rubella, measles and mumps in Karabakh, as well as
the contribution of Karabakh Telecom to this program and generally
the health sector in Karabakh. Namely, Karabakh Telecom provided
25 thousand U.S. dollars to buy the vaccine. The ministry had been
seeking for participation of Nagorno Karabakh in this program, which
was launched in developing countries, including Armenia, five years
ago. According to the minister, the health of children should not be
politicized, meanwhile the international organizations cooperate with
recognized states only. "Over the past years the cases of measles and
rubella have risen in the country due to the lack of vaccine. Two years
ago we started cooperating with the Armenian office of the Millennium
Armenian Children’s Vaccination Fund based in California, and started
seeking ways for getting the vaccine. Karabakh Telecom was the first
to come to rescue," Zoya Lazarian said. The minister of health thanked
the chief executive of KT Ralf Yeirikian and said this is the first
donation of the company to the health sector in NKR. The company also
provided 10 thousand dollars to furnish the Arevik children’s medical
center. Besides the company helped the hospitals of the regions of
Shahumian and Kashatagh to buy two ambulances. The minister also
thanked the director of the MACVF Armenia program Narine Hairapetian
and the Ministry of Health of Armenia. The experts of the Ministry
of Health of Armenia held a week seminar in Artsakh, which started
on March 12, and did the first vaccinations. In Artsakh 150 children
aged 1-6 have already got vaccination without any complications.