Title: Increase and sustain high immunization coverage rates
Course: Immunization - Ethiopia (Full)

Increase and sustain high immunization coverage rates

The key to increasing and sustaining high immunization coverage rates is to increase the accessibility of immunization services, particularly by opening more vaccination delivery sites at times when mothers can bring their infants. As you know, many children are not immunized because they live far away from health facilities. These children could be given the opportunity to be vaccinated through establishing outreach services, supported by mobilisation teams going from house-to-house identifying children (and mothers) who need vaccinations.

You might also have seen health workers giving immunizations in your community in well-publicised campaigns that encourage parents to bring children to the kebele office or the Health Post for vaccination. The progress achieved by the Health Extension Workers at one Health Post can be seen in Figure 1.4. Planning and managing your routine immunization activities are described in detail in Study Session 8, and communication for an effective immunization service is in Study Session 9.

Figure 1.4  Increasing immunization coverage rates achieved in one year at Fura Health Post in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. (Photo: Janet Haresnape)