Opening of the photography exhibition ‘Immunization for All is Humanly Possible’

Antsirabe, 6 December 2024 – The photography exhibition ‘Immunization for All is Humanly Possible’ is taking place in the city of water, Antsirabe. The official opening was held in front of the train station, an iconic location in the city, by the governor of the Vakinankaratra region, the Regional Director of Public Health representing the Ministry of Public Health and the UNICEF Representative in Madagascar.

The series of around thirty photos aims to raise public awareness regarding the importance of the fight against polio, the promotion of routine vaccination and reaching ‘zero dose’ children or under-immunised children. The photos depict the heroes and heroines of vaccination who are fighting to reach and vaccinate every child across the country, the determination of communities and health workers, the rollout of response campaigns and vaccination strategies, and committed parents who are ready to have their children vaccinated.

This photo exhibition is also part of the global campaign entitled ‘Humanly Possible’, which calls on governments to prioritise and fund vaccines in 2024. In Madagascar, the President has declared 2024 the ‘Year of Vaccination.’

Regarding polio, Madagascar was certified free of the indigenous wild poliovirus in July 2018. However, since September 2020, the country has been facing a resurgence of outbreaks linked to variant polio. From 2023 to 2024, seven national polio response campaigns were carried out to stop the circulation of the virus and strengthen herd immunity among the target population.

In addition, Madagascar remains one of the countries in the world with the highest number of ‘zero-dose’ children, i.e. children who have not received any of the recommended vaccines. Between 2019 and December 2023, more than one million children under the age of five were in this situation, representing more than one in five children.

In 2023, the Vakinankaratra region was one of four priority regions that vaccinated the adult population. However, by the end of September 2024, the region had recorded a low proportion of ‘zero-dose’ children immunised due to the poor performance of routine vaccination. Antsirabe is one of eight cities receiving UNICEF support in the context of the ‘Reach the Unreached’ approach to routine vaccination.

For UNICEF, supporting this series of photo exhibitions demonstrates its commitment and willingness to continue working alongside the government in this fight to protect children and the population at large. UNICEF is a major supporter of the Ministry of Public Health, ensuring that vaccines are transported in strict compliance with the cold chain and that health personnel are trained.

The photos will be on display in front of the station until 10 December 2024.