Lessons from health camp model in somalia: ensuring equity and accessibility in child immunization
 
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1
Save the Children International - Somalia "Save the Children International Somalia Country Office 1st August, Gen. Nuur Salaad Rd, Garowe - PL, Somalia" Somalia Somalia
 
2
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Senior Program Officer London, United Kingdom United Kingdom
 
3
Save the Children "899 N. Capitol Street NE Washington DC USA" United States
 
 
Publication date: 2023-04-26
 
 
Popul. Med. 2023;5(Supplement):A1133
 
ABSTRACT
Somali Demographic and Health Survey (SDHS 2020) showed 60% of children received no vaccinations at all and just 11% of children were fully immunized. This sufficiently depicted Somalia as one of the most difficult places having inequitable health service delivery, following decades of conflict and political instability, coupled with limited capacity and infrastructure. Population living in inaccessible areas controlled by non-state actors with minimal or no humanitarian agencies in operation, have greater needs compared to those in fairly accessible or government-controlled areas. Save the Children in Somalia, together with other partners, co-designed health camps to offer integrated essential health and nutrition services, including immunization for population living in selected districts within these extremely underserved areas. At least 28,573 zero dose/missed children aged 0-23 months were identified within targeted communities, with dire need to receive life-saving primary health care services. Initially, this ‘Health Camp’ model was piloted in 11 inaccessible villages in Kismayo and Afmadow districts between Sept and Oct 2022, and served as week-long ‘integrated mobile outreach services’ every month. Local NGO staff and community volunteers were trained to effectively deliver primary health care services and engaged to identify existing health facilities in their locations for revival. A total of 3,166 under 5 children (1,532 boys; 1,634 girls) received lifesaving health services and 608 under 23-months children received Penta-1 of which 55% of them were identified as zero dose children (above 6 months age but never received Penta 1 before). This health camp model appears as an effective and preferred (by community) approach to reach more zero-dose children and to interrupt the cycle of transmission of vaccine preventable diseases.
ISSN:2654-1459
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