Afrigather 
Rwanda – When group well being employees introduced a mass polio vaccination marketing campaign in Karongi, on the japanese shores of Lake Kivu final yr, mom Marie Claire Umutoniwase knew this was her alternative to guard the well being of her now nine-month-old daughter Ornella.
Umutoniwase had realized from group well being employees the devastating results of polio and says, “I really feel at peace realizing my daughter is vaccinated.”
Following the declaration of a circulating variant poliovirus kind 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak in Rwanda´s neighbouring nations, together with Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Tanzania, Rwanda launched into an immunization marketing campaign to guard each one of many nation’s youngsters from the virus, and its penalties.
Though the final polio case in Rwanda was reported three a long time in the past, the vaccination marketing campaign aimed to achieve all youngsters beneath the age of seven no matter their earlier immunization standing.
In shut collaboration with the World Well being Group (WHO) and UNICEF, Rwanda’s Well being Ministry carried out two countrywide immunization rounds with 2 754 831 vaccines administered between 24 and 28 July 2023 and an additional 2 915 598 between 11 and 15 September 2023.
Vaccinators went home to deal with to make sure all eligible youngsters have been reached, with efforts complemented by pop-up websites at markets, parks, well being services and faculties. The 2 rounds reached 106% and 99.7% of their respective targets, whereas 44 of 46 district hospitals have been deemed to have met the WHO standards for a high-quality polio vaccination marketing campaign.
“Earlier than the marketing campaign, folks largely knew little greater than the identify of the illness. We went door to door to teach everybody about polio, concerning the significance of accepting the vaccine and the potential penalties for kids who contracted the virus,” says Martin Mbasabagukizwa, a group well being employee who actively participated within the marketing campaign.
Total, 14 424 educated group well being employees have been concerned within the marketing campaign, with supportive supervision by groups from well being centres and district hospitals. WHO labored with the Ministry of Well being to coach nationwide and district supervisors, who then cascaded their data to well being centre groups, finally equipping and supporting group well being employees to manage the vaccine.
WHO employed an progressive digital cost platform to make sure well timed funds to the 17 865 personnel concerned in implementing and evaluating the marketing campaign.
“Neighborhood well being employees performed a key function within the marketing campaign, administering vaccines in households, monitoring youngsters who had missed a vaccine and following up on any hostile occasions following immunization,” says Hassan Sibomana, Director of the Vaccine Programmes Unit at Rwanda Biomedical Centre.
Emphasizing the broad vary of gamers essential to make any vaccination marketing campaign a hit, he provides: “The profitable polio vaccination marketing campaign was the fruit of excellent collaboration between all actors.”
On the request of Ministry of Well being, WHO, in collaboration with the World Polio Eradication Initiative, deployed a workforce of native and worldwide specialists to the nation earlier than, throughout and after the marketing campaign to offer technical help to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre within the planning and coordination for the marketing campaign. WHO additionally offered technical experience to confirm the usage of the polio vaccine, working with the Rwanda Meals and Medication Authority.
Dr Marie Rosette Nahimana, WHO epidemiologist and Expanded Programme on Immunization workforce chief, says “Rwanda’s pressing and profitable vaccination marketing campaign displays a proactive strategy to stopping the unfold of polio and defending the well-being of the nation’s youngsters. This complete technique, with its deal with group training alongside vaccination efforts, exemplifies greatest practices in public well being campaigns,” she provides.
