Description

UNICEF's James Elder reports on an ongoing national immunization campaign in Zimbabwe.

Transcript

Importance of Zimbabwe's Child Health Days James Elder: You're watching UNICEF Television. Zimbabwe’s second round of its 2007 Child Health Days began this month. This critical campaign targets 2 million children, polio vaccine and basic childhood immunization. Now on its third year, Child Health Days are playing significant role in raising immunization rights and boosting child survival efforts in Zimbabwe. 40-year old Mrs. Edith Mwanyali regrets that in the past she has missed the opportunity to protect the children. Mrs. Mwanyali says home visits and strong information campaigns ensure she was aware of this week’s Child Health Days. Edith Mwanyali: When I get back home, I'm going to encourage other women to take their children for the vitamin A supplements. There are a lot of women in my area who do not even know the importance of the polio vaccine or the vitamin A supplements and I will inform them. James Elder: The community mobilization is in the critical to the success of Child Health Days. Tens of thousands of selfless hardworking medical staff and volunteers underscore why there is so much reason to be positive in Zimbabwe. Outreach projects like these ensure that no child falls within the cracks. Health workers of visited markets, schools, community centers and mobile clinics across the country ensuring that all parents know why and where to take the children to immunized. Sally Mwamuka: Our immunization coverage is in both -- has been very high. We’ve been ranging above 85-95 so the coverage had been very high and there’s a result we have any cases of measles and measles outbreaks for the past years. No cases of polio, no cases of diphtheria, no cases of tetanus in the city of Harare. James Elder: As Mrs. Mwanyali holds her 18-month old son while he receives his -- hundreds of women wait patiently in line. It’s the same scene across Zimbabwe’s Child Health Days seek to reach every single Zimbabwean child under five years of age. Dr. Collete Kibassa: Child Health Days are tremendously important and the support received from the international and our local donors has really hoped us to make this a success. James Elder: The Child Health Days also provide a catch up facility for mothers whose children missed routine immunization over the last campaign led by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. Child Health Days are funded by the U.K.’s Department for International Development, Canada’s International Development Agency and the governments of Ireland and Japan. With an economy in continued decline and a health system under great stress, Child Health Days are a vital opportunity for Zimbabwe to maintain and build on its impressive immunization rates. This is James Elder reporting for UNICEF Television in Harare, Zimbabwe. Unite for Children.