ARMENIA JOINS WHO’s INITIATIVE "IMMUNIZATION WEEK IN EUROPE"
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia joined the initiative
"Immunization Week in Europe" held by the World Health Organization
on April 16-22. During this period, immunization-related issues
will receive coverage of the Armenian mass media. The RA Minister
of Health Norayr Davidian said at the April 16 press conference
that the purpose of the initiative is to raise the population’s
awareness of the significance of vaccination. According to him,
immunoprevention is one of the highly efficient strategies of health
care, thanks to which no cases of such diseases as diphtheria, neonatal
tatanus and poliomyelitis are now registered in Armenia. Besides,
another achievement of immunoprevention is that in recent years no
cases of children’s deaths due to controllable infections have been
registered. In 2002, Armenia was declared a poliomyelitis-free zone
by the WHO.
Head of the National Immunoprevention Program Gayane Sahakian
noted that vaccination against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus,
poliomyelitis, measles, German measles, parotitis and tuberculosis
is done free of charge in Armenia. In her words, only high-quality
vaccines approved by WHO are used in the country.
By the way, Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia Shushan Petrosian
was elected as ambassador of Immunization Week.
From: Baghdasarian