Jenster Mayling, a 10-year-old Grade 4 student from Marara Primary School in Tandai Ward, Northwest Guadalcanal, has won the junior category of the national immunization campaign poster competition held during World Immunization Week in the Solomon Islands.
This yearโs theme, โImmunization for all is Humanly Possible,โ was creatively captured in Jensterโs artwork, which impressed judges with its depiction of key vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) such as neonatal tetanus, polio, whooping cough, meningitis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and rubella.
Dr. Ray Seleso, Supervising Director of Health and Medical Services for the Guadalcanal Provincial Government, congratulated Jenster and praised the awareness shown by schoolchildren.
โThis shows that our children in schools are aware of our health issues in general and that it shows we will have a healthy young citizen in the future,โ he said.
Dr. Seleso also urged parents and guardians to vaccinate their children and ensure they receive balanced, nutritious meals. He thanked the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and international donorsโincluding Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Bank, the Australian Government, and other global partnersโfor their continued support.
Despite such efforts, challenges like geographic isolation, limited access to health services, and vaccine misinformation continue to hinder immunization coverage in the country.
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GP Media.
