The first-ever “Vaccination
Week in the Americas”, covering 35 countries and launched
in Fond Parisien, a small border town between Haiti and the
Dominican Republic, has now been successfully concluded.
Events were held from April 24-30, targeting 40 million people,
with a special focus on hard-to-reach children such as those
living in rural border regions, and the most vulnerable groups,
including women and the elderly.
In Haiti, 79,000 children were targeted to be immunized against
polio. The Haitian Red Cross supported the Ministry of Health
in a week-long social mobilization campaign which was launched
prior to Vaccination Week.
During Vaccination Week, 150 Red Cross volunteers, trained by
the Ministry of Health, administered the oral polio vaccine
to children five years old and under in four of the five districts
being covered – in Nord’Est, Plateau Central, l’Ouest
and Artibonite.
The Haitian Red Cross also made available three motorcycles
and three ambulances in support of the social mobilization and
vaccination campaigns. The International Federation contributed
to this campaign through financial support to the Haitian Red
Cross.
“It’s a lot of work but we know our community is
vulnerable by virtue of being in the border region. We want
to kick polio out of Haiti,” says branch President, Joseph
Andre.
“This is the latest example of successful collaboration
between the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement, WHO, UNICEF,
and Ministries of Health to eradicate this terrible disease.
Our extensive volunteer network can reach people who might not
otherwise be vaccinated in these campaigns,” underlined
Niels Scott, Federation Representative for Haiti.
The campaign was coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO), the regional arm of WHO.
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Opening ceremony
of the first “Vaccination Week in the Americas”
covering 35 countries launched in Fond Parisien, a small
border town between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
(p11529) |
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A Red Cross volunteer
calls out to residents of Lascahobas informing them of
the vaccination campaign. Through its volunteers, the
Haitian Red Cross has been supporting the Ministry of
Health in a week long social mobilization campaign prior
to Vaccination Week and National Immunization Days (NID).
(p11532) |
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Vaccination Week
events from April 24-30, coordinated by Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO), the regional arm of WHO, are targeting
some 40 million people. In Haiti, 79,000 children five
years old and under are the focus of an immunization campaign
against polio.
(p11530) |
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Two Haitian Red Cross
volunteers administer the oral polio vaccine (OPV). A
total of 150 Haitian Red Cross volunteers are taking part
in the campaign across the country. The International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has
contributed to this campaign through financial support
of the Haitian Red Cross.
(p11533) |
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Residents of the town of Lascahobas.
Lascahobas is one of the vulnerable communities near the
border with Dominican Republic that is being targeted
during the vaccination campaign.
p11531) |
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A child wears a sticker
saying “I am vaccinated” in Creole. She has
just been immunized. In this simple way she is one step
closer to being free of polio. (p11534)
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