Vaccination

UNICEF and its partners support the expanded programme on immunization in the Central African Republic. UNICEF also contributes to community mobilization efforts to increase community acceptance of immunization programmes.

Considerable progress was made in implementing the national immunization programme.

Coverage for the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine increased from 54% in 2017 to 73% in 2018, and measles coverage increased from 49% to 71%.

UNICEF and its partners, notably WHO, with the support of donors, are participating in the reconstruction of the vaccination system by ensuring the supply of vaccines and cold chain equipment for the effective storage and management of vaccines (solar or paraffine refrigerators, cold rooms, etc.) for health facilities.

In emergency areas occupied by armed groups and difficult to access, UNICEF supports measles and polio vaccination activities for displaced populations. Thanks to UNICEF's support, Central African children aged 0 to 11 months are vaccinated against the six main vaccine-preventable diseases: whooping cough, childhood tuberculosis, tetanus, polio, measles and diphtheria, and meningitis. Vaccines for pregnant women are also provided in health facilities.

From 2016 to 2017, 372 health centres were equipped with cold chains (including 204 solar refrigerators). This enabled 1,555 million children under the age of 14 to be vaccinated against measles.

As part of the integration of the new MenAfriVac vaccine (meningitis vaccine) into the national immunisation programme in 2017, UNICEF supported the country in implementing the national meningitis vaccination campaign. This campaign vaccinated more than 2.8 million people under the age of 30, representing 88 per cent of this age group.

As part of the fight against polio through coordination in the Lake Chad Basin, four vaccination campaigns were organised in 2018. On this occasion, more than 600,000 children under the age of five were vaccinated.