Jiwaka PHA continues polio vaccination drive despite LLG election hiccups

Despite roadblocks along the Highlands Highway on Tuesday, 28th, the ACSM/HP team and Kurumul CHP officer Kiak Aina successfully conducted polio awareness and vaccinated over 130 children in the Kurumul communities, with good community cooperation

Despite ongoing violence and tension during the LLG elections in Jiwaka, the Provincial Health Authority [JPHA] continues its Round 2 polio vaccination campaign.

This phase of the campaign includes both the oral polio vaccine [OPV] for children under 10 years old and the polio injection (IPV) for children aged between 3 months and 10 years.

Throughout this week, Jiwaka’s education partners have been working with schools in remote areas like Kambia, Jimi, and Anglimp South Waghi to raise awareness about the vaccination drive. These school-based awareness programs are helping nearby health facilities reach more children quickly and safely.

Technical Advisor for Health Security, Ellie Winge, praised JPHA for its leadership, noting that Jiwaka was one of the top-performing provinces during the first round of the national polio vaccination campaign.

"Technical understanding in disease control comes with a good health management approach."

"I physically witnessed that Jiwaka PHA is having a best CEO and management system who understands the roles of public health and corporate well with the health workers." Winge said.

"Disease control for Jiwaka is always at the top level, I also see good corporations within education sector at the province."

"Jiwaka PHA understand very well about SIA 1 and 2 polio immunization and the routine immunization too. Therefore, their health performance indicators show increase in percentage every year."

She set Jiwaka PHA as an example for other established PHA's who are stagnant to improve.