2024-05-01 10:23:00
The 14th edition of SAV, placed under the theme ”The essential vaccination program in the 50th year”, with the slogan ”Vaccinated societies, healthy societies”, provides the opportunity to raise awareness in society to support vaccination activities in order to protect children from preventable diseases. Fifty years following the establishment of the expanded vaccination program in the world and especially in the DRC, results have been achieved in the response to preventable diseases through vaccination.
As an illustration, the DRC has recorded enormous progress, notably the eradication of smallpox in 1978, its declaration as a country free from the circulation of wild poliovirus in 2015 and 2018. The country achieved elimination status for maternal and neonatal tetanus. The introduction of new vaccines once morest yellow fever, viral hepatitis, pneumococcal infections, gastroenteritis and measles is also part of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in the DRC.
But alongside these compelling results, bottlenecks persist in the response to the fight once morest polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. In terms of challenges, EPI noted the persistence of zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, low completion of vaccination sessions, managing the infodemic, strengthening community dynamics in favor of vaccination, installing community-based committees in the provinces…
“The DRC reported 827,754 children with zero doses and 963,318 children who are under-vaccinated, because all the vaccines included in the vaccination schedule increase the immunity of each of them unsafe areas…“, acknowledged the head of department responsible for supervision and information at PEV, Brave Kassongo.
Faced with these challenges, PEV believes that it is possible to change the situation on the ground with the involvement of the media. Hence the call launched to journalists, members of the Child Friendly Journalists Network, during the information day organized for them on April 30 at the PEV headquarters in Kinshasa, as part of the celebration of the 14th edition of the SAV. All the speakers at this briefing with the press, namely Dr Bertin Lora from PEV, head of the department responsible for supervision and information at PEV, Brave Kassongo, and head of the training and guidance department at PEV, Dominique Aleko, were all unanimous regarding the important role of the media in raising awareness among the community to take ownership of vaccination activities.
“The media are the best channels for us to reach their community will allow us to advise parents to vaccinate children with zero doses or who are too late for vaccination, to provide good information regarding complete vaccination of children and pregnant women In addition, the media will allow us to encourage parents to vaccinate their children and teach them what to do in case of side effects arising from vaccination. explained Dominique Aleko.
Note that vaccination is the only means of protecting children once morest polio to prevent acute flaccid paralysis if not vaccinated. All parents are therefore invited to support vaccination activities by allowing their child to be vaccinated during the routine sessions.
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