Overcoming Challenges and the Road to Reach Missed Children
UNICEF’s catch-up vaccination programme through “Find and Catch’ and ‘Monitor and Advocate’ approaches to immunize zero-dose children in Guder town, Oromia region
Sukare Atew (48) is a grandmother of baby Kena Dandana who is now a year and two months. Sukare’s daughter gave birth to Kena, but she had kept it a secret as it was unplanned pregnancy, and Kena was delivered at home.
“Eight months ago, my daughter gave Kena to me and fled from Guder town. My daughter never took Kena to a health centre and I was also worried and scared to get Kena vaccinated as she was very weak and frail at the time. That’s why I waited this long to bring her for a vaccination, says Sukare Atew.
Sukare knows the advantage of vaccines and she feels comforted that she decided to bring Kena to the health centre to get vaccinated today. She thanks the health workers who have been consistent in visiting her home to convince her to bring Kena today.
Shiferaw Olana has served for over 10 years as an administrator of Guder Health Centre.
“We educate mothers to vaccinate their children within 45 days of birth. Our challenge now is the expansion of the city and the dwellers which is becoming overwhelming. We are at a stage where we don’t even know the boundary of the two Kebeles (Sub-districts). In such a situation and because of movements by families due to security unrest, so many children either have not taken their first dose of vaccine or those who started have become defaulters” said Shiferaw.
“We are happy that Urban Health Workers have started vaccinating children, especially through outreach services. We have 6 health extension workers deployed to provide the services and do not have human resource issues. The only problem is security and people becoming displaced which is stretching the system. Despite their situation, mothers are eager to vaccinate their children nowadays and they also understand the benefits which is really positive.”
Obse Gurmu (25) is the mother of Nega Dereje, who is 8 months old. Nega is a typical mommy’s boy who clings to his mom for attention and wants to be breastfed constantly. He is her first child.
“I did not vaccinate my child because I was scared that it will hurt him. I am not comfortable with the needle going inside his small body. The needles look scary, and I felt like he is going to be hurt and will cry. Otherwise, I know that it protects from measles and other diseases.”
Dintee Birhanu (20) has brought her smiling baby Yosef Zeleke (9 months) for the first time to the health centre. She used to live in Kolba kebele but recently moved to Guder town due to security issues.
“I now live in Guder town, but my extended family still lives in the rural Kebele of Kolba. I took my child there and I couldn’t return due to conflict. I was stuck for some time. I wanted to bring Yosef to a health facility but since the date for vaccination has already passed, I was scared that the health workers will send me away. That’s why I didn’t come. But now they have convinced me that my baby can still take the vaccination even if time has passed and I have brought him to be vaccinated. I know that vaccination helps children to cure many diseases.”
Mulunesh Gobena has worked at the Guder Health post for 13 years as an urban health worker.
“I am so happy that we have finally managed to vaccinate children as urban health workers. We used to do only referrals. We now do outreach services once a week. When it’s really far, we take a taxi to reach mothers and children. We vaccinate an average of 20-25 children per day. So many people are coming from rural areas as they are displaced due to conflict, but we are managing well.”
