Japan boosts Lesotho's EPI project

Japan has donated immunization and vaccination equipment to the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) of the Ministry of Health as part of a five year continuing project started in 2001 until 2005. The assistance includes cold chain equipment, polio and measles vaccines.

Accepting the equipment on January 14, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Motloheloa Phooko, said to demonstrate determination to ensure the good health of its people, the government of Lesotho is putting  together all efforts to protect children protect against diseases.

Dr Phooko said every country's survival and success lies in its future generation, the children of today. This was  why Lesotho is strongly dedicated and committed to the good health and education of children. Government is actively engaged in activities that guarantee good health for children and the entire nation, especially those under five years of age, he said.

Through the EPI, the Ministry of Health has been able to increase immunization coverage from a low 60 % to 87 percent since  April last year. The equipment, which was just being symbolically handed over, had already reached children throughout the country, Dr. Phooko said.

Handing over the equipment, the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yohitaka Hanada expressed hope that their assistance would be of great help for the betterment of health of mothers and children, and for the attainment of Lesotho's Millennium Development Goals. Japan considers health to be very important in economic cooperation and immunization as one of the major pillars in cooperation in the health sector, he said.

14 January 2004