My children rarely fall sick because of immunization
Vaccines protecting Mindra's children from diseases
It is a sunny hot day at Eremi Health Centre III in Moyo District, Olive Mindra has brought her 1 year and 3 months’ child for deworming.
Mindra is not alone. Over 30 women carrying their children are seated in the corner designated for immunization as Patrick Ayiga, the health centre In-Charge calls in one by one.
I have come to check my son’s weight and deworm him. I want to know and keep monitoring his health,
All her two children have been fully immunized.
Asked the importance of deworming, Mindra says it controls the rate of worms in the body. “When worms are in the body, it weakens it, the child get diarrhoea and loses appetite, explains Mindra.
Eremi Health Centre III is one of those that has benefited from a Government of Japan grant through UNICEF. To improve immunization coverage in Arua, Moyo and Yumbe and reduce the risk of outbreaks, UNICEF procured additional vaccines, strengthened cold chain and community mobilization. In addition, UNICEF supported the procurement and distribution of measles, polio and tetanus toxoid vaccines to the districts of Arua, Yumbe and Moyo. Additional operational support/funds were provided to district local governments to train health workers in effective vaccine management and strengthening routine outreaches.
Mindra believes her children rarely fall sick because they are fully immunized. “Immunization keeps the immune of the children strong and protects them from killer diseases like Polio, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria and Measles,” she explains.
Equipped with knowledge on immunization having listened to health programmes on radio, Mindra passes on the same information to her neighbours in the community so that they adhere to vaccination of children.
Asiba Zuyu Lawra was also at the health centre with her 3 months’ baby in company of her husband. Lawra is proud to be participating in the immunization activities because they will save her daughter. She encourages parents especially men to always support their wives for such activities.
Lawra’s husband, Charles Irama says he comes along to so that he learns more about each of the vaccines given to their daughter and the disease it protects the child against.
I personally want to see for myself how they immunize the baby and learn what each of the vaccines helps to do,
He reveals that when he was growing up, he saw several children who were affected by pneumonia and encourages parents to adhere to the vaccine which will save their children’s lives.
With funding from the Government of Japan, UNICEF procured 33,000 doses of measles vaccines, exceeding the targeted 30,000, which reached 192,685 children. Furthermore, a total of 50,000 doses of polio vaccines were also procured, allowing UNICEF to reach 184,359 children in Arua, Moyo and Yumbe.
Ayiga says whereas immunization has generally improved in Moyo District, some areas like in mountains are not easy to access. He calls for more support to conduct outreaches and door to door sessions through Child Health Days Plus.
