At least 2,292 children in Apaa Township in Amuru district below five years missed out on the mass vaccination against polio and other diseases.
Last month, the government through the health ministry conducted a three-day countrywide mass vaccination against polio.
However, in Apaa Township only 2,742 out of the 5,034 children aged five years and below were vaccinated according to statistics from the village health team.
Christopher Ocen, the Chairperson of Apaa Village Health Team told URN that the affected children are those whose families are residing in the hard to reach areas including Punu Dyang Oyanga, Gazi Nile and Mulila Sub-villages.
Ocen says that their reports indicate that none of the children in the areas has received vaccination since birth due to inaccessibility and the absence of health facilities in the area following the over four-year closure of Apaa Health Centre II, the nearest health facility due to persistent violent conflicts.
Grace Lalweny, a mother told URN that three of her children have never been vaccinated against polio and other diseases since birth due to the lack of a Health Centre in the area and the high cost of transport to Pabbo Health Centre III in Pabbo Town Council.
Jenniffer Amony, another resident, said that she had hope of vaccinating her four children and those of her son during the mass polio vaccination but she was surprised that the health team did not reach their area.
Amony notes that the majority of mothers in the area are bothered that their children have not been immunized against various diseases yet they feel helpless.
George Ocan, the Amuru District Health Secretary has asked the affected parents to consider their children`s health and take them to other health facilities for immunisation as they plan to reopen Apaa Health Centre II.
