EPI acceleration
'Expanded programme on immunization (EPI) acceleration' is the approach used for immunization in Somalia. In the past, routine EPI activities, in which children were brought to health facilities to be immunized, proved inadequate in preventing recurrent epidemics of vaccine-preventable disease Insecurity and poor access makes Somalia one of the most challenging places in the world in which humanitarian agencies operate. Vaccination campaigns must employ innovative ways to reach populations that are sometimes volatile and often hard to reach. Consequently, UNICEF and partner health agencies in Somalia agreed in late 2000 that, given the current instability and breakdown in health services in the country, a different approach was required to ensure the immunization of children at high risk of contracting preventable diseases. This led to the development of the 'EPI acceleration' concept. EPI acceleration involves organizing EPI immunization activities in select towns. Here, teams of vaccinators go to specific locations where children can be brought. A social mobilizer alerts the community about the presence of the teams and the mothers/guardians bring the children. The exercise takes place in each town for five days in a month, over a period of three months.
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