A collection of campaign stories captured and curated by Linksbridge SPC
Featured Stories
Pakistan’s anti-polio campaign reached more than 40 million children under age 5 in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (March 29-April 2) and in Balochistan (April 11-15). Balochistan province postponed the start of the campaign by two weeks due to an ongoing strike of government employees. During the campaign, more than 285,000 “Sehat Tahafuz” frontline workers visited families and caregivers, going house-to-house to vaccinate children. Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme; Pakistan Today
Liberia became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV). The weeklong campaign, April 6-10, targeted more than 1.9 million children from 9 months to under 15 years old. Nimba, the second most populated county, encountered setbacks due to low turnout or failure of parents to allow their children to be vaccinated. Many residents are criticizing the Ministry of Health for not carrying out “adequate awareness” before launching the campaign, local media reported. After the campaign concludes, Liberia will integrate TCV into the country’s routine immunization program for all children at 9 months old. Coalition Against Typhoid; Daily Observer
To mark Vaccination Week in the Americas 2021 (April 24-30), Colombia opened 2,500 vaccination points nationwide and offered 21 vaccines for the prevention of 26 communicable diseases (including polio, TB, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, influenza, chickenpox, yellow fever, rotavirus and infections caused by Haemophilus influenza type b and pneumococcus). The campaign targeted 396,000 children under age 6, 55,000 pregnant women and 10,000 adults age 60 and over. In parallel, a national vaccination campaign against measles and rubella was launched on April 24: The 12-week campaign targets over 7.5 million children between 1-10 years old. Minsalud (Ministry of Health Colombia)
Outbreak Response
Cameroon launched a three-day polio vaccination campaign on April 23, going door-to-door to target 6 million infants under age 5 with OPV drops. The vaccination will be coupled with a vitamin A supplement for children from 6-59 months and deworming of children from 12-59 months. Journal du Cameroun
Cameroon also completed a cholera vaccination campaign this year in its largest city and economic capital, Douala, achieving “about 1000” vaccinations in four health districts targeted due to high case numbers: Japoma, Nylon, Bonassama and New Bell. Sources say many residents are skeptical about the campaign, “questioning whether the vaccine was not against COVID-19 instead.” The program, which started March 25, was extended for one day to reach as many people as possible. Journal du Cameroun
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has expanded its measles vaccination campaign in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, targeting children living in hard-to-reach areas of the country. In February, the campaign targeted 66,000 children in the isolated health zone of Bosobolo in response to an upsurge in measles cases—over 13,000 in the country since January 1. MSF
Local Campaigns
Egypt extended the second phase of a four-day nationwide anti-polio campaign by two days (ending April 2) to reach children who missed the original campaign period. Over 16.54 million children, including 20,404 non-Egyptian residents, have been vaccinated, with a coverage rate of 99% since the launch of this phase. Daily News Egypt
The Democratic Republic of the Congo launched a vast preventative yellow fever campaign on April 27 in seven of the country’s 26 provinces, targeting more than 16.3 million people age 9 months to 60 years. WHO
Afghanistan launched its second national polio vaccination campaign of the year on March 29, targeting 9.9 million children under age 5. The five-day campaign also administered a vitamin A supplement to children age 6-59 months. WHO
Mexico is running a nationwide measles, rubella and mumps follow-up vaccination campaign from April 19-June 25. The campaign will administer 3.9 million doses against measles, rubella and mumps to start or complete schedules for children between ages 1 and 9 and will give 8.6 million doses against measles and rubella to children between ages 1 and 4. MundodeHoy
Nepal launched a mass drug administration (MDA) drive against lymphatic filariasis on April 2, targeting over 7 million people in 12 “high-risk” districts: Baglung, Banke, Bara, Bardiya, Dang, Dhankuta, Jhapa, Kailali, Kapilvastu, Lamjung, Morang, and Parbat. Ratopati
South Sudan organized a house-to-house polio vaccine campaign this month, targeting over 2.5 million children in 73 counties. Vaccines were delivered by the integrated community mobilizers network. UNICEF
Nicaragua ran its annual national polio vaccination campaign April 6-25, targeting children under age 5 and people over age 50. The campaign aims to administer over 1 million vaccine doses, including 650,000 doses donated by Mexico. Prensa Latina
Kyrgyzstan launched an inactivated polio vaccination (IPV) catch-up campaign on April 19. The monthlong campaign targets 95% of the missed cohort of children (over 270,000 children) age 3-5 years with a single dose of vaccine. Kabar
Sudan reached over 77,000 Ethiopian refugees in March with yellow fever and cholera vaccines in Kassala and Gedaref states through fixed and temporary sites and mobile vaccination teams. This was part of a broader vaccination campaign in priority states (also in March) against yellow fever, cholera and polio, targeting 100,000 people, including host communities. ReliefWeb
Kenya conducted a mass drug administration (MDA) campaign to eradicate schistosomiasis in Taita-Taveta county, reaching over 57,000 residents; moreover, 62,458 residents also received treatment for common worms. The MDA campaign, funded by Accelerating the Sustainable Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ASCEND) through the Department for International Development (DFiD), will run for five years (as required by WHO) to ensure eradication/containment. Kwaela News Network
During Vaccination Week in the Americas 2021 (April 24-30), Peru targeted 30,000 people in La Libertad region, offering 17 different vaccines for the prevention of 26 diseases (including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, yellow fever, polio, measles, and severe diarrhea). The campaign opened 273 vaccination points along the coast, and 360 “health brigades” offered door-to-door vaccination countrywide. Andina
Uganda launched its annual mass drug administration (MDA) campaign against schistosomiasis and intestinal worms in Mayuge District. Daily Monitor
In the Philippines, the second phase of a mass vaccination program against measles-rubella and polio (February 1-28) reached the majority of its target population: 90.3% of the target population received a measles-rubella vaccine, and over 87% of the targeted children under age 5 got an oral polio vaccine. The campaign covered Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Visayas. GMA News