BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Research documents tells that immunization programs have improved the primary care infrastructure in developing countries, lowered mortality in childhood and empowered women to better plan their families, with consequent health, social and economic benefits.
The annual return on investment in vaccination has been calculated to be between 12 percent and 18 percent. Vaccination leads to increased life expectancy. Long healthy lives are now recognized as a prerequisite for wealth, and wealth promotes health. Vaccines are thus efficient tools to reduce disparities in wealth and inequities in health services, as to documents.
To garner the aforementioned benefits and beyond, Ethiopia has been working persistently to immunize its people through devising strategies and formulating expanded immunization programs.
As part of this effort, recently the nation has launched nationwide Integrated Measles Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA) campaign to save citizens from illness and death by giving more types of vaccines.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the campaign held at Akaki Kality Sub City Sirti Health Center, Health State Minister Dereje Duguma noted that Measles SIA campaign has been conducted across the nation in number of times to increase the immunity of children to measles, and reduce the occurrence of outbreaks. In this campaign, the Ministry plans to immunize 15.5 million children nationwide, he remarked. He also called on pertinent stakeholders to support the campaign.
The government has shown strong commitment to improving Expanded Program Immunization (EPI) access and utilization by training health extension workers and setting up number of health posts which have integrated community case management. It has also endorsed sustainable development goal target which aims at reducing preventable deaths of newborns and children under-five years of age by 2030. Immunization is a cost-effective public health strategy. It averts nearly three million deaths annually but immunization coverage is low.
According to National Immunization Program Acting Manager Temesegen Lemma, the National Integrated Measles Vaccination Campaign is vital in muzzling down the occurrence of outbreak at pandemic level. Above all, the campaign is vital to ensure citizens’ well-being and productivity, at the same time minimize the burden of various preventable diseases in the community throughout the nation.
He further noted that through this campaign, COVID-19 vaccination will be provided to areas that had been in conflict. Conducting vaccination campaigns for the displaced and host communities is key to preventing an outbreak of infectious diseases such as measles. Malnutrition also needs to be addressed. That is why this campaign is integrated with Vitamin A distribution and deworming for young children.
The Integrated Measles Campaign also helpful in strengthening further the regular vaccination programs in various health facilities including the activities of nutrition screening for children and women with fistula. Vitamin A supplementation to children aged between 6-59 months supports their rapid growth; and helps them combat infections.
Since, vaccination is helpful in ensuring economic growth everywhere, in lowering morbidity and mortality, it is cost effective. The campaign is headed by a national task force and it includes nutrition screening for children and pregnant women who had attended or not got regular immunization; screening club foot and deworming supplementation to children aged 2-5.
At the same time, screening individuals with club foot and women with fistula health problems will be practiced. Ethiopia has launched an integrated measles campaign to contain the outbreaks and ease the burden, he underscored.
Integrated Measles Immunization campaign is underway nationally starting from December 22, 2022 and will continue to the coming ten days. Regional health bureaus could also adjust schedules as per their respective realities, it was learnt.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD 24 DECEMBER 2022
