Benin/Crusade against the Covid-19 pandemic in Benin: Mayors and religious leaders commit themselves to achieving results

To achieve herd immunity after the three waves of contamination and a fourth wave on the horizon, the Government of Benin, with the support of technical and financial partners, launched on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, an intensive vaccination campaign against the Covid-19 pandemic for a period of 60 days for the benefit of the population.

On Thursday 18 November 2021, he initiated exchange sessions with the mayors of the 77 communes and the leaders of religious congregations. These two meetings led by the Minister of State Pascal Irénée KOUPAKI and the Minister of Health Benjamin HOUNKPATIN aim at mobilize these key actors for a massive participation of the population and the faithful in the intensive campaign whose objective is to protect them from the harmful consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the various exchanges, the Minister of Health presented the dark picture of the three deadly waves of contamination that our country has experienced and put a particular emphasis on a fourth wave that is on the horizon. Hence the urgency for the population to be vaccinated during this accelerated campaign where more than 1000 teams are mobilized and safe and effective vaccines deployed in all communes and districts. Benjamin HOUNKPATIN reassures: "Dear mayors, dear religious leaders, it is not vaccination that kills. It is Covid-19, our common enemy that kills. And that is why we must vaccinate en masse".

The Mayors and leaders of religious congregations thanked the Government for all the actions undertaken to ensure the health security of the population in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. They unanimously marked their commitment to work alongside the Government to meet the challenge of improving immunization coverage at the end of the campaign. They did not fail to request its support through the provision of accurate information to counter the spreading infodemia.

On the occasion, the Minister of State Pascal Irénée KOUPAKI expressed the availability of the Government to work for a fruitful collaboration for a significant adhesion of the populations and religious communities to the launched vaccination campaign. "I appeal to the responsibility of all. From one step to another, this awareness will spread to achieve the objectives".

Note that the meeting of the Minister of Health with the Mayors at Azalai Hotel was attended by the WHO Resident Representative, Dr. Mamoudou HAROUNA DJINGAREY, the Prefect of the Littoral Mr. Alain Sourou OROUNLA and the President of the ANCB, the Mayor of Cotonou Luc ATROKPO.

Source: www.gouv.bj