"Vaccines keep our children safe and healthy," Ugandan mother
At one time, people were sceptical about vaccines. VHTs have done a lot to change their mindsets
About 150 people, mostly women and their children, have today (19th October 2022) gathered under a big tree shed in a fairly large compound in Olobai Zone in Kisoko Parish in Tororo District. Even though many leave, other people keep coming, making the size of the people in attendance seem constant. Some of the children are wailing on seeing an injection being administered to another child. The mothers do their best to soothe them with heavenly promises. It is an immunization outreach.
Nurses from the nearby Kisoko Health Centre II are busier than a bee. Later in the afternoon, the nurses assisted by volunteers known as Village Health Teams (VHTs) beckon a colleague. “The turn up is so huge, we need more syringes and vaccines,” Sylvia Achieng, an enrolled nurse and focal person at Kisoko Health Centre II informs a VHT. He kickstarts the motorcycle and rushes to the health centre for replenishments.
Luckily enough, the health centre which is about 3 kilometres away is well stocked having had a cold chain system installed. Previously, it would have been the end of the day’s vaccination exercise as the nurses would have had to travel about 15 kilometres away to the district vaccine stores in Tororo town. That is if Tororo itself would have had the vaccines in store.
COVID-19 exposed the lack of cold chain systems for keeping vaccines safe leading to installation of solar powered fridges in Tororo, which now supply health centres like Kisoko. Kisoko with its fridge, has enough vaccines to last at least one month.
The cold chain systems at the Tororo District vaccine stores were procured and installed by UNICEF with funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) as part of the partnership to strengthen sub national capacity for COVID-19 vaccination, routine and emergency preparedness and response against vaccine preventable disease outbreaks.
The goal of the partnership is to contribute to better health by supporting the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization (UNEPI) to improve coverage, equity, quality and sustainability of immunization services as a foundation for integrated primary health care to regularly reach underserved communities in support of universal health coverage.
Assured of the availability of vaccines, mothers and caregivers have responded positively to the call to have their children immunized.
That is why at the outreach in Olobai, Tereza Akongo, who walked a few kilometres from the nearby Koi Zone is sitting patiently waiting for her child’s turn. “I have no doubt that all the children here today will be vaccinated so I don’t have to leave or be impatient,” she says with a smile, while her one-year-old son jostles for attention.
As a mother of five with the eldest being 18 years old and the youngest one year old, Akongo has over those many years observed the difference vaccines make. “If you asked anyone here the symptoms of whooping cough, they wouldn’t know,” she says, thoughtfully. “Ask anyone here if they have seen a child suffering from polio and you won’t get anybody. Maybe from the old people but the majority of young people here don’t have an idea of what these diseases are,” she explains.
Akongo says that even measles is rare. “That is why you are seeing all of us here today. We understand the role of vaccines in keeping our children safe and healthy,” Akongo adds.
It hasn’t always been like this. At one time, people were sceptical about vaccines but with VHTs moving from door to door, people have been able to appreciate the importance of immunization. “We move to every house in the community talking to mothers. We are from the same community, so they trust us because they see our own children being immunized as well,” Esther Achieng, a VHT explains. “Those who were sceptical at first, we keep on going to them so that they can see the benefits of immunization and when they talk to other mothers who have had their children immunized, they too bring their children,” she adds.
However, even though Kisoko mothers and caregivers turn up in huge numbers, Tororo District borders Kenya on the east leading to migrant populations. “Some claim to have been immunized already or left their vaccination cards somewhere but with VHTs and local councils, we try as much as possible to reach people,” explains Sabino Samali Epiat, the Tororo District Assistant Chief Administrative Officer in charge of health
“At religious events and burials, our teams especially VHTs request for time to sensitize people about immunization among other health issues,” she adds. “People also know that when there is an outreach, the vaccines will be available and won’t have to wait for far too long because all our health centres are now well stocked,” she explains. “It is vandalism that we have now to fight to ensure that the installed cold chain systems remain intact,”
