GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – On Saturday, 28 May, a bike-a-thon will take place from 7.00am to 10.00am for nine to 11-year olds.
The starting point is the Baby Wellness Clinic on the A.J.C. Brouwers road and ending at the Vineyard Office Park at the W.G. Buncamper road #33.
Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, has organized their second bike-a-thon as one of the activities in commemoration of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA). The theme for Vaccination Week in the Americas this year was “Go for the Gold! Get Vaccinated!”
The bike-a-thon is being organized to profile the importance of vaccinations in our community, in addition to emphasizing the importance of physical activity as such is also about the importance of staying healthy.
VWA is an initiative of the countries of the Americas and the Caribbean to revitalize the commitment to vaccinations and promote a culture of prevention.
According to the WHO, on a global level, immunization averts two to three million deaths annually; however, an additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global vaccination coverage improves. Today, an estimated 18.7 million infants – nearly one in five children – worldwide are still missing routine immunizations for preventable diseases, such as diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus.
The Region of the Americas became the first to eliminate rubella, a contagious viral disease that can cause multiple birth defects as well as fetal death when contracted by women during pregnancy.
CPS points out that much progress has been made globally to increase immunization coverage, adding that it’s very important to get children vaccinated so they can grow up healthy and strong.
CPS will be organizing its open house on June 4 where parents can come to have the child’s vaccination status updated (agre group 0 thru 17 years).
In addition, in collaboration with the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, child vision screening will be carried out and health information sessions will also be available.
The health topics that will be discussed on that day will be “Puberty and Reproductive Health,” “Oral Health,” and the “Prevention of Cervical Cancer.”
CPS urges the public to come out and make use of the activities and services that will be provided at the Open House on June 4.
