IOM medical staff collaborating with Sri Lankan health department staff last week, organized a vaccination campaign against chickenpox for 200 children in Kallady, a camp for tsunami survivors near the eastern city of Trincomalee.
The vaccination campaign for children under twelve followed an outbreak of the disease in the camp in September. Some 35 cases among children and adults werediagnosed.
"Chicken pox, like measles, is highly contagious particularly among children in a crowded camp environment and it is essential to act quickly and vaccinate as soon as it is identified," said IOM Colombo Public Health Coordinator, Dr Qasim Sufi.
IOM health workers and health department staff last week also carried out a house-to-house health education campaign in the camp and met camp and religious leaders to enlist their help in stopping the spread of the disease.
Health volunteers were mobilized to visit every house in the camp daily to monitor any further spread of the disease and plans are underway for a visiting mobile clinic.
For further information, please contact Chris Gascon, IOM Sri Lanka, Tel: +9411 536 1941 Email: cgascon@iom.int