Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Real lives

Life-saving immunizations planned for a million children in DRC

UNICEF is preparing to conduct an emergency measles immunization campaign targeting more than 1 million Congolese children between the ages of six months and 15 years.

The campaign is in response to a recent measles outbreak in Mutena, southern Kaisai Occidental Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Measles immunization coverage in the DRC has been declining over the past 10 years, dropping from nearly 80 per cent to less than 20 per cent due to conflict and political unrest. The long period of instability has led to poor living conditions and low levels of access to health care and adequate water and sanitation. All have been deadly contributors to measles, which is now among the leading killers of children under five years old in the DRC.

A massive campaign

The most effective health care response is immunization, which costs less than a dollar per child. “Mass measles campaigns conducted in 2002 were very successful,” says Dr. Mohamed Cisse, UNICEF DRC’s Chief of Health. “They achieved a high level of coverage which helped cut down to near zero the number of registered deaths this year due to measles in those areas vaccinated.”

With financial assistance from the governments of Japan, Canada and the United States, UNICEF will conduct the emergency measles campaign in early November in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Médecins Sans Frontiérs (Doctors Without Borders) and other partners.

Immunizations will be given at local health posts, schools and churches. Children of ages 6 to 59 months will also be given a vitamin A supplement to help them ward off infections.

Relais communautaire -- social mobilization teams – will inform local communities of times and locations.

UNICEF will provide the vaccines, along with syringes and safety boxes for disposal. It is training health workers in measles immunization techniques and safe syringe disposal, and will provide technical and financial support to the social mobilization teams.  UNICEF will also help coordinate and supervise campaign logistics.

Of all the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles remains the leading childhood killer. Probably the best known and most deadly of all childhood illnesses, it is a highly contagious virus. Children usually do not die directly of measles but from its complications such as pneumonia and diarrhea, which attack their weakened immune systems. The disease mainly affects children but can also strike young adults.

A steady progress

In the meantime, routine measles immunization continues in many other parts of the country. In Kimoka, North Kivu Province, winding dirt roads cut along the sides of the Virunga mountain range of Gorillas in the Mist fame, just outside the volcano rock-laden town of Goma.

More than 25 mothers sat talking at a rural health post, babies on their laps, waiting for the children to be immunized against measles and other diseases.

“We come to the health post once a month,” said Sophie, a young woman holding her daughter. “The relais communautaire came through our village with their megaphones, visiting each house over the last three days to remind us that today was the day to have our babies vaccinated, weighed and measured again. It’s nice to be together here with all the other mothers. We look forward to it.”

The health post’s head nurse, Buuma, was orderly yet friendly as she moved the crowd along. “We’ve got all the vaccines here so the mothers can follow their babies’ vaccination schedule properly,” she said.  “It’s just about noon now and there will be lots of other mothers coming here in the next few minutes with their children because they stop working in the fields at midday. I’m expecting that about 18 children from around here will need the measles vaccination this morning.”

The babies are also weighed and measured every month, their progress plotted on a chart.  Deborah, an assistant nurse, said, “The relais communautaire are constantly in touch with mothers, teaching them the importance of exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of their baby’s life. This information and practice is invaluable for their babies’ overall good nutrition and health.”

“Last year we conducted an emergency measles campaign all along this area,” said Buuma. “When the volcano erupted in Goma in January 2002, there were suddenly thousands of people without anywhere to go or to anywhere to live. Health and sanitary conditions were not very good, so the possibility of a measles outbreak was high.

“We conducted the measles campaign at health posts like this one and at other well known, easy to reach places, like local schools and churches. Our relais communautaire made sure everyone knew the importance of bringing their children for the measles vaccination campaign so no children were missed. The emergency campaign really helped prevent measles outbreaks and the deaths of children in the area.”