The Ministry of Public Health signed with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) a work plan for the year 2014-2015 as part of the ongoing cooperation between them.

The plan aims to reach more than 2.6 million local children and adults, including 760,000 of the most vulnerable. This task will be achieved through providing support to the ministry’s network or primary healthcare centers, government hospitals, as well as to health units that are housed within the Social Development Centers.

The work plan for this year will ensure that children and families in the 225 most vulnerable localities have access to primary healthcare services. This means free immunizations and provision of free access to medical examination including free medication, nutrition services, ante-natal care, and through vaccination campaigns.

Minister of Public Health, Wael Abou Faour, said: “This positive partnership will generate fruitful results, and the work with UNICEF should be an example to follow for other international organizations and the international community”.

Annamaria Laurini, UNICEF’s Representative in Lebanon, said: “All children should be vaccinated now against polio because it takes many doses to build the wall of immunity”.