In Niger, traditional leaders drive campaign against vaccine hesitancy
While we are celebrating the World Immunization Week, traditional leaders join hands to build trust in COVID-19 vaccine
The COVID-19 vaccination rollout commenced in some of the high-risk regions of Niger. To increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in the country, UNICEF is supporting traditional and community leaders to drive the campaign against vaccine hesitancy in the country.
“We want to help dispel myths by being vaccinated first” says Aboubacar Sanda, Sultan of the region of Zinder and active member of the Association of Traditional Chiefs of Niger.
Beyond getting the vaccine, many have taken up the mantle of encouraging their communities to get vaccinated.
‘‘We must work together with government to remove the myth and dispel the conspiracy theories around the vaccination. There is so much disinformation peddled by some individuals about this vaccine. We agreed to embark on awareness campaign to deal with this” explains Aboubacar.
“Leaders should lead by example in spreading the positive information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Religious and traditional actors are well-positioned to respond and communicate information and teachings to their communities in times of crisis” he says.
Traditional leaders like Aboubacar have administrative authority at the community level and work closely with religious leaders. These two groups are the most respected in both households and communities.
Since the start of the pandemic in Niger, they have played an essential role in sensitizing communities. They inspire other leaders to take action, spread the message, and help contain the pandemic. This is why UNICEF works with the Association of Traditional Chiefs of Niger (ACTN) to support communities in the fight against COVID 19 and its harmful effects.
“Our approach to structured engagements with traditional leaders has been focused on sharing information and raising awareness about the benefits of vaccination to protect communities about the spread of the deadly COVID-19 disease,” explains Dorina Andreev-Jitaru, UNICEF Chief of Communication for Development and Social Change.
In Niger, traditional and religious actors have deep and trusted relationships with their communities and connections to disadvantaged and vulnerable members.
As such, they are particularly well placed to address inequity related to societal factors – such as social norms, behaviours and practices that affect access to services or fuel discrimination and deprivation – and thus facilitate efforts towards the realization of the rights of the most disenfranchised.
"Due to their moral influence, traditional leaders can influence thinking, foster dialogue and set priorities for their communities,” says Dorina Andreev-Jitaru.
This initiative has been made possible thanks to the support of the World Bank, the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and USAID
