Day: April 27, 2023

The Jordanian National Center for Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Control (JCDC) said it is working with Ministry of Health and partners to support the Kingdom’s national vaccination program. In a statement on Thursday released on the occasion of “World Immunization Week 2023,” which is celebrated this year under the theme:”The Big Catch-up,” the center recommended maintaining and supporting the national vaccination program. JCDC also stressed the importance of increasing vaccination coverage of vulnerable groups in remote areas, upgrading cold chain system and introducing new vaccines in routine national immunization program based on the latest data on vaccine-preventable diseases. The center noted Jordan has succeeded in maintaining “high” vaccination coverage and protecting its population. In this regard, JCDC said national vaccination program has achieved “remarkable” success despite the spread of polio and other infectious diseases in neighboring countries. JCDC is also working to “follow up and improve vaccination levels in the Kingdom and expand the base of people covered by this scheme,” the statement said. Due to importance of following up on developing and updating statistical data on coverage rate of routine child vaccinations, the center is working, in cooperation with Ministry of Health, to conduct a national cluster survey to study percentage of vaccination coverage for the age group 2- 3 years and factors that could cause coverage rates to drop below the nationally targeted levels. In addition, the center stressed importance of conducting comprehensive research on post-vaccination side effects for all vaccine-preventable diseases in Jordan and for all ages, in addition to supporting monitoring of vaccine-preventable diseases. Through National Committee for Communication on Health Risks and Community Engagement, the center voiced its support to local communities’ involvement to access free vaccination services provided by Ministry of Health across the Kingdom and educating beneficiaries on importance of vaccination and adherence to national vaccination programs. Under the slogan: “The Big Catch-up,” Ministry of Health and JCDC are working with World Health Organization (WHO)’s support to administer any vaccines that children could not be taken during Covid-19 pandemic, restore coverage rates, and strengthen primary health care to provide immunization, the statement said.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Health Minister, Dr. Firas Hawari, on Thursday discussed with Canadian Ambassador to Jordan, Tarik Khan, ways to enhance Jordanian-Canadian cooperation in the health field. Hawari affirmed the “deep-rooted” bilateral relations, which culminated in the meeting that brought together His Majesty King Abdullah II and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last January. Hawari also valued Canada’s contribution to Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA), through which Canadian government and multiple international donors, contributed to supporting implementation of Jordan’s health projects and programs that contributed to expanding quality health services at the ministry’s facilities, adding that their “positive” effects reflected on citizens and refugees alike. These projects, he noted, primarily focused on equipping and operating a hospital for specialized surgeries in Amman-based Al Bashir Hospitals, equipping and managing a cardiac catheterization unit in Zarqa Governmental Hospital, strengthening infrastructure and providing medical devices and equipment in various ministry-affiliated health facilities, including hospitals and health centers. In addition, Hawari referred to priority projects and programs that fall within the ministry’s strategy for 2023-2025, which are consistent with Economic Modernization Vision (EMV), stressing the ministry’s “serious” endeavor to implement these programs within the timeframes set earlier. For his part, the Canadian envoy stressed importance of finding mechanisms to ensure continued joint cooperation in the health field, stressing Canada’s continuous support for the ministry’s efforts to improve its health services. Khan added that additional funding has been approved to implement Joint Financing Arrangement projects, with an estimated value of about 16.3 million Canadian dollars, to support Jordan’s health infrastructure and provide medical devices and equipment at the ministry’s facilities.

Source: Jordan News Agency