Recent reports have revealed that routine
vaccination coverage in the North West has been on the decline since 2012, dropping from 81percent
in 2012 through 77 per cent in 2014 and then 70 per cent in 2015 till present. This
decline at the regional level has been accompanied by a corresponding decline
in most health districts with the number of health districts with coverage declining
over 80percent progressively
In a bid to scale up the statistics, Strategic Humanitarian Services
(SHUMAS) Cameroon a locally-based, not-for-profit development non-governmental
organisation based in Bamenda, North West Region of Cameroon has kicked off a
project aimed at scaling up routine vaccination rates in some five health
districts of the region. The project “Identify and
Vaccinate Children Lost to Follow-up and Zero Dose in 5 Health Districts in the
North West Region” took off with a preplanning meeting June 15, 2017 involving
all stakeholders amongst representatives of women’s groups from all the health
districts, SHUMAS and Public Health Regional officials led by the Regional
delegate Dr Manjo Matilda.
Explaining why the
preplanning meeting, the Director General of SHUMAS said was “to inform all
stakeholders on the objectives, activities, expected results, role of each
stakeholder in the project.”
Mformi Ndzerem
Stephen Njodzeka told the gathering that after the training of nurses for rural
health centers, constructing/refurbishing/equipping of rural health centers,
providing portable water to health centers, schools and communities amongst
others with the organization’s health program, SHUMAS has been “promoting
routine and supplementary vaccination” as an interface organization with the
Ministry of Public Health. According to the Director General it is thanks to
the close collaboration between SHUMAS and the Ministry of Public that the
“project to promote routine vaccination coverage” in the five health districts
in the NW came to being.
“SHUMAS has been in
partnership with UNICEF since 2016 implementing a similar project in 5 health
districts in the West Region with amazing results. More than 2000 children
children loss to follow up and zero dose were identified and about 1500 of them
started receiving their vaccines. We are here to start the same project in the
North West Region. It is our wish we will realize the expected results and
beyond for the benefit of our children.” Nformi Ndzerem Stephen N. said.
The project to be
implemented in the five health districts of Bafut, Bali, Batibo, Benakuma and
Mbengwi it emerged from the meeting has as main objective to “improve the rate
of routine vaccination coverage to at least 90per cent” in the selected health
districts.
Addressing the
event, North West Regional delegate for Public Health Dr Manjo Matilda
appreciated SHUMAS for the work done so far as concerns community development
reason why they have attracted her ministry as partners in the project. She
will also express confidence on the eventual success of the project stating that
from the work done so far by SHUMAS in reaching out to families and communities
and this time through women, the objective will be met.
It is expected that
at the end of the project the capacity of 150 women leaders and 15 development/health
actors will be built on vaccination issues, routine vaccination coverage will
be improved to at least 90 percent in all five health districts, the districts
will be sensitized on the importance of vaccination, at least 95 per cent of
identified children lost to follow up and zero dose will be vaccinated and five
women groups who will identify and vaccinate the highest number of children will
be provided micro credits which assures the sustainability of the project.
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