Haiti is still struggling to cope with the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that claimed more than 200,000 lives in the country. Schools, homes and water and sanitation systems were destroyed, and more than a million people remain displaced.
Following the devastating earthquake, routine immunization activities were severely affected. Many health facilities were damaged or destroyed, and interruption to fuel and power supplies have had a major impact on health services including, the cold-chain systems that support the storage and distribution of vaccines.
"When I heard the announcement from the megaphone, I decided to take my son immediately to the vaccination post," says Kelida Henrisme, the young mother of 3-month old Kenley. The announcement had been made by a social mobilizer early on the morning of the first day of the vaccination campaign.
Educating parents
Omene Charles, a mother of three, has been a social mobilizer in Campo, a community of about 800 people, for 19 years. Ms. Charles is an active and a respected member of her community, as is clear from a walk through the town center, where she is stopped every few meters by warm greetings, children shouting out her name or someone asking for her advice.
"I know the importance of vaccination, and I have witnessed firsthand the consequences these illnesses have when children are not vaccinated, for this reason I feel that it is my duty to motivate my people," she says.
Charles uses her megaphone in her communities' churches, schools, door- to- door on foot walking at times 12 miles a day. "I know that with my megaphone I am saving lives."
To get the maximum number of children vaccinated, the mobile teams have to access the most difficult places to reach. The children targeted during the campaign also receive vitamin A supplements and de-worming tablets. A total of 146 vaccinators were engaged for the campaign.
"I motivate my people every month without fail, even after the earthquake. I feel responsible for their well-being," says Charles. "Parents need only a simple explanation to allow their children to be immunized."
Polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles and rubella are preventable diseases that threaten the children of Haiti. "It is vital that we reach every child and that we inform parents of the importance of immunization and the consequences of not being vaccinated," says Dr. Yasmine Challoub, UNICEF Immunization Specialist.
Creating an effective mechanism
Social mobilizers use megaphones to raise awareness on importance of immunization.
Haiti wrapped up the annual Vaccination Week of the Americas on Friday May 6 in the country's West and South East departments along the border with the Dominican Republic. An estimated 60,000 children under the age of 5 were immunized during the week. More routine vaccinations are being planned and will continue to be supported in the coming months by UNICEF, its partners and the Haitian authorities.
Before the earthquake, the number of children vaccinated against preventable disease was already low in these areas with coverage at only 53 percent.
"The work is crucial, since many local residents are not aware of the dangers of polio, measles and other preventable diseases. Vaccinators and social mobilizers are the key to ensuring the success of the campaign and we should encourage them to reach out more effectively to their communities. This is the most effective way of ensuring ownership of routine lifesaving immunizations," said Challoub.
© UNICEF Haiti/Cifora Monier