For Meeting the 70% COVID vaccinations Target… USAID & PARTNERS CERTIFICATES BONG COUNTY HEALTH TEAM

Gbarnga- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization in collaboration with partners have certificated the Bong County Health team for meeting the 70% obligations given the team by World Health Oganization (WHO) for the vaccination of citizens in the County.

WHO’s primary role is to direct international health within the United Nations system and to lead partners in global health responses.

It can be recalled that the Bong County recorded her first COVID case on June 14, 2020.

The World Health Organization mandated all health teams in the fifteen counties of Liberia to at least meet the vaccination target of 70% of each County’s population to prevent the increasing waves of the COVID virus in the Country.

During the certification ceremony at the County Health Team facility on the main Compound of the Phebe Hospital in Suakoko District on August 19, 2022, the Health team Officer of Bong County, Cynthia Blapooh described the certificate as a massive achievement and a big win for the people of Bong County.

Madam Blapooh however said meeting the 70% benchmark of the World Health Organization vaccination target was a collaborative efforts by the entire health workers and the County authority including technical support from the Ministry of Health.

She said during the increasing waves of the pandemic, pressure was being mounted on the health team by local officials of the County to have the vaccines administered across the county, adding that the target was achieved by the willingness of citizens of the County to take their doses.

She then used the occasion to send her gratitude to Bongese who saw it prudent to take their Covid vaccines; and at the same time called on the remaining citizens who have not taken the vaccines to make it their duty to take the human killer’s disease medication.

Madam Blapooh then thanked USAID, WHO, STAIP, UN, and the ministry of health for their endless support and encouragement during the vaccination exercises, noting that the team wouldn’t have met the target without the financial, technical, and logistical supports from the above-mentioned partners.

Disclosing strategies used in meeting the 70% target during the vaccination campaign in the county, the focal person for child survival at the Bong County health team, Henry Tamba, said they were mainly focused on total stakeholders involvement including superintendent, commissioners, the ministry of Education, the Agriculture ministry, and other group of people in the County.

Mr. Tamba said the team was also focused on public awareness through the media and moving to schools, hospitals, villages, towns, and other populated areas in meeting their target.
He puts the total population of the County at little over four hundred-fourty-six thousand ninty nine ( 446,99) across the thirteen administrative districts, seven electoral districts and the nine health districts in Bong County, with the total health work forks of one thousand three-hundred twenty-six.

He narrated the the County recorded one hundred-sixty seven cases with twenty death out of the total number and one hundred forty-seven survivals.

According to him, four major countywide vaccination campaigns were conducted across Bong County during the process beginning with the first ten days of campaign sponsored by the World Health Organization and the second fifteen days conducted in December of 2021 with support from the ministry of health.

The Child Survival focal person then named damage fridges, motorbike and other essential materials as major challenges the County Health team is currently facing and is meanwhile calling on the Ministry of Health and partners to help remedy some of the constraints they are faced with.

Remarking on behalf of USAID and partners, the director for MELAM, USAID and STAIP, Gaspar Mbita described the achievement as use of founds for the purpose intended at the same time appreciated the County health team for being committed to saving lives in Bong County.

For her part, Bong County Superintendent, Esther Y. Walker thanked the United States Agency for International Development USAID and partners for standing by the County in meeting their obligations, adding that the achievement is a win for all the citizens of the county with a call for citizens to continue observing the health protocols.