Champions of polio vaccination
"Our greatest pride is to have been able, through Kulina Sawa project, to find and vaccinate several children that otherwise would not have been protected" Assiam Alias, 35.
Its name still resounds in the capital N'Djamena and the province of Chari-Baguirmi, thanks to the dedication of its members. Mahanna (women in solidarity) is more than just local organization; it is the driving force behind the Kulina Sawa project ("We are all together" in the local Arabic language) for child immunization and birth registration promotion. Leading this group of about forty members is dynamic Assiam, a 35-year-old woman.
Assiam and her peers are dedicated to promoting maternal and child health. With the support of health workers, they carry out awareness-raising campaigns mostly in Koundoul, a small town in the Chari-Baguirmi department.
After receiving training in social and behavioral change approaches, these courageous women have developed several awareness-raising strategies, including educational talks and focus groups conducted in households, markets, health centers and places of worship, aimed at persuading people to vaccinate their children and register them with the civil registry.".
Their actions on the ground have helped break down the obstacles associated with unvaccinated children and laid the groundwork for a lasting behavioral change within communities.
"Our greatest pride is to have been able, through the activities of the Kulina Sawa project, to find and integrate several unvaccinated children into the immunization chain," Assiam proudly says.
"We have also understood the meaning of community engagement, and this has enabled us to continue this work right up to the end of the project. With the support of community leaders and health workers, we will continue to look for children who have not received any doses of vaccine" she adds.
The women of the Mahanna association are firmly convinced that communication and community engagement are effective ways of overcoming obstacles to vaccination and saving children's lives. To do this, they mobilize even in inaccessible areas, to reach as many children as possible.
"These women are really doing a remarkable job. This can be seen in the sharp rise in the number of children vaccinated. They must be encouraged" says Solange, the head of the Koundoul 2 Health Center.
Thanks to financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kulina Sawa community engagement project has significantly contributed to improving vaccination rates, reducing infant mortality, and increasing birth registration. Its first phase of implementation was carried out in the city of Ndjamena and the province of Chari Baguirmi.
Through educational talks, household awareness raising activities and radio broadcasts, it reached nearly 3.3 million people between January 2022 and March 2023.
