Kilifi immunization champion brings grassroots challenges to the table
Tuesday August 24 2021
A health worker vaccinates a child. A vaccination champion says there is a need for men to actively take part in the immunization narrative to enable uptake. PHOTO | FILE
Msumarini village in Kikambala location in Kilifi South sub-county is the home of an immunization champion in the county. Mr Omar Bandika is among the voices that have been advocating for domestic budgeting on matters of immunization.
Bandika coordinates and works with other champions in seven sub-counties to ensure that the calls for immunization financing is heard.
He says they are now putting together a coalition to strengthen their voices on matters of immunization financing.
“With all of us and even other stakeholders coming together, we will have an even stronger voice to ensure that counties are investing much in immunization to guarantee routine vaccination and availability of other vaccines,” he says.
So far, the coalition has about 13 members, he says, among them Kwetu Training Centre, Angaza Youth Initiative, Kaloleni Youth Empowerment Centre, Exodus CBO, DSW Kenya, Pathfinder Kilifi, Moving the Goalpost, and Youth for Sustainable Development, and more. “Together, we sit down and plan the push for more funding for immunization,” Bandika says.
He is concerned that immunization is least embraced by both national and county governments, making it look like a foreign agenda being pushed by non-governmental organisations and development partners.
“If you fetch water, you will be able to know to value it. The common mwananchi doesn’t understand what it costs to get the vaccines. We need political goodwill in immunization. We need our politicians to bring this discussion so that we can prevent these diseases instead of waiting to cure them,” Bandika stresses.
He adds that as immunization champions, they promote dialogue on the top. “Many people go to the facilities to get the various immunizations, but they do not know where the jabs come from,” he says.
The champions, together with partners, are conducting sensitisation and awareness programmes to enlighten the community about the importance of being vaccinated.
“We are speaking to the community to make them understand that vaccination or immunization is a very cost-effective investment for public health. We also try to make them understand the importance of being vaccinated,” he says.
The team also engages policy makers to appreciate the financing gaps in immunization and why the counties need to prioritise budgeting for vaccines ahead of the scheduled exit of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
According to Mr Bandika, the challenges in enhancing immunization vary. “There are those that come with access. At all times, we see women visiting facilities for routine vaccines, like polio, tetanus, and measles,” he says, adding that the major challenge is in the sustainability of the provision in terms of cold chains, so that the hard to reach areas are covered.
The champion gives the example of his local Msumarini dispensary, where there is a big challenge of unstable power supply.
“Some of the vaccines have to be moved from here to the Vipingo Health Centre. Thanks to the County Government and its partners, we managed to get a standby generator that solved the erratic power supply. This is only one of the many scenarios. There is a lack of facilities in some of the health centres,” he says.
He notes that the vaccines require to be kept in certain temperatures and some of the available refrigerators are old and lack spares. “A time like this, we need modern cold chain equipment to ensure the safety of the vaccines.”
However, Mr Bandika points out that with a community that has low health literacy, understanding Covid-19 and the vaccine has been a great challenge. “There were myths that emerged, especially with the HPV and the Covid-19 jabs. They say it is a way to regulate the fertility of African women and many have warned their girls against taking the jabs,” says Mr Bandika with concern.
As a champion, he has had to take the Covid-19 vaccine first to convince the community to also get the jabs.
He also observes that there is a need for men to actively take part in the immunization narrative to enable uptake. “We want to ensure that the discussion on vaccination and immunization leaves the boardrooms to the grassroots,” he stresses.