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Photo essay

Behind the scenes of a vaccination campaign in Chad.

From planning to administering the first vaccines.

Francine Tchouta

A girl in her school uniform, vaccinated in front of her school mates.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

23 June 2021

Between March 22 and 28, 2021, a joint vaccination campaign was held in 13 provinces of Chad. The campaign was launched on March 22, 2021 in Biltine, Wadi Fira Province, during an official ceremony presided over by Dr. Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, Minister of Public Health and National Solidarity of Chad. The campaign aimed to administer Vitamin A and Albendazole to children aged 9-59 months, but also to vaccinate them against measles.

Of the 133,624 children targeted in Moussoro, Bokoro and Mao, vitamin A was administered to 134,422 children, and 134,382 children received Albendazole, all this with funding from the Kfw development bank, the Government of Canada, and the French Muskoka Fund.

With support from UNICEF, WHO, Gavi and other partners, measles vaccines were also administered to 1,745,337 of the 1,623,518 children initially targeted by this campaign.

From the theoretical preparations to the administration of the first Vitamin A drops and Albendazole tablets to the first injection, let's take a look at the backstage of this vaccination campaign in Chad.

1. In the beginning: training and organization of teams.

A group of men and women in a room, listening to a man who is speaking.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

During several working sessions, the capacities of health workers and others are strengthened. No topic is left out, and all questions are answered.

A woman, standing in front of a building.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

For Manda Bourma, head of the Taiba Health Centre: "These training sessions are important because they prepare us for the campaign. Without guidance on site organization, vaccine administration, management of IPM cases and other topics related to vaccine administration, we are lost. "

2. Between awareness and community outreach.

A man with a speaker, passing a message to a group of women who are walking in the street.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

The town criers, these pawns of the chessboard without whom awareness-raising and community information would be incomplete. Equipped with their speakers, they go around the neighbourhoods disseminating key information on the dates, places and importance of vaccination for children.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

Mariam Ali, 35, has received the message from the town criers and community volunteers. She will have her daughter Nilai Ali, 4, vaccinated. Mariam has already seen children who have measles and does not want her daughter to ever suffer from 'AmkeÑana' .

3. Let's go to the cold room, the vaccines are there!

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

Meanwhile, the vaccine teams are not sleeping. The vaccines have arrived and need to be conditionned so that the cold chain is respected.

Two bottles of measles vaccines on a box.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

Once in the cold room, we open the boxes. Let's make sure they are measles vaccines. After confirming this, the team can now move on.

4. Final checks before the campaign begins...

A poster with Lafya, a cartoon

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

When it comes to information, little Lafya is never far away. For this vaccination campaign, she is also part of the game and has a message to pass on to parents. For this purpose, several posters have been produced.

A man counting numbers in a paper.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

Before D-day, it is important to make sure that all vaccines and inputs have been delivered to all vaccination points. To ensure that everything is in place, final checks are made.

5 . Everything is in place, the vaccination campaign can now be launched!

A man dressed in white, addressing a speech in front of a crowd.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

For this campaign, the official national launch took place in Biltine, in the Wadi Fira Province. Presided over by the Minister of Public Health and National Solidarity in the presence of representatives of UNICEF, WHO and other partners.

A table with vaccines to be administered.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

While waiting for the protocol phase at the end of which the vaccination campaign will be launched, everything is ready on the side of the vaccinators. In addition to the vaccines, Vitamin A and Albendazole will also be administered to the children.

6. Ready for the first shots !

A boy vaccinated in front of other children

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

One of the vaccination points in Gosmeida is crowded. Ali, 4 years old, is among the first children to receive his measles vaccine. For this campaign, 1,745,337 children were vaccinated against measles in Chad.

A girl vaccinated in front of her classmates.

UNICEF CHAD/2021/Francine Tchouta

At her school in Gosmeida, little Aissatou, 4, receives her dose of vitamin A under the curious eyes of her classmates who are waiting for their turn. Like her, in Moussoro, Bokoro and Mao, 134,422 children received Vitamin A, and 134,382 children received Albendazole.