Childhood diseases in Africa
Access to vaccines
Insecurity and logistical difficulties,
an urgent problem
in central Africa
In Africa, millions of children are
exposed to deadly diseases such as measles, yellow fever, polio and
malaria, and Cameroon is no exception.
At the end of 2021, there were more than
150,000 “zero dose” children, 76% of whom are in the South-West, West,
Littoral, Far North and Center regions of the country. The term
“Zero dose” is used to describe children who have not received even a
first dose of DTP-containing vaccines.
To avoid losing ground in the fight
against preventable childhood diseases, Cameroon launched the
initiative “Reaching and Adapting Immunization Services Effectively for
Zero-Dose
Children (ZDC) in the Sahel Region (RAISE 4 ZDC)".
The objective of this
vast campaign is to reach all children who have not received any
routine vaccination in accordance with the
schedule of the expanded vaccination program in Cameroon by 2025.
Funded by Gavi, the
Vaccine Alliance, this initiative gives hope for a better tomorrow in
at-risk and difficult-to-access areas in Cameroon.
A point similar to all
the countries of the
sub-region1, whose influence of the tropical climate weighs on the
health and lives of populations.
“Currently, we are completing baseline assessments, identifying
zero-dose children, interacting with key stakeholders to understand the
determinants of vaccination coverage,” explains Dr. Njume Epie,
technical coordinator of the RAISE 4 ZDC initiative.
Vaccines unavailable…
The low vaccination rate is based on
geographic data. According to the technical coordinator, remote areas
and cross-border areas are factors that increase the number of
zero-dose children in Central Africa.
Added to this are challenges of supply
and demand, the unavailability of vaccines, vaccinators,
logistics, combined with cultural and religious narratives, which
dissuade parents from vaccinating their children.
"All this in a context of
conflicts and social unrest which fuel the internal displacement of
people, the insecurity which limits awareness campaigns", tells us Dr
Njume Epie.
The
result of this security crisis is that thousands of children are
missing out on vaccination campaigns in areas plagued by terrorist
attacks and in displacement camps.
Constantin Yap
Le nom
de "sous-région" désigne des subdivisions
administratives dans plusieurs pays
|
|
|
