Written By Vanessa Kariuki ||
As National Immunization Week 2023 gets underway, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Health has urged all interested parties to give the country’s under- and unvaccinated populations first priority.
“The Big Catch-Up,” the campaign’s theme for this year, strives to build on prior successes while pushing forward with the goal of ensuring that all children in the nation obtain the required vaccines.
The Cabinet Secretary praised county leaders and health professionals at the Immunization Policy Guidelines 2023 launch for their commitment to achieving an 80% routine immunization coverage, a small improvement from 2014 despite significant changes to the health system, such as devolution and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nakhumicha stressed the requirement that county governments set aside funds for immunization initiatives, particularly in view of the impending departure from Gavifinancing in 2030.
Through creative financing of health services, including vaccines, the primary healthcare system must be enhanced.
The Cabinet Secretary voiced concern over the rising proportion of unvaccinated children at the county level, despite the fact that Kenya has made tremendous progress in enhancing access to immunization programs.
She pleaded with medical professionals to prioritize expanding the reach of the second dose of the measles vaccine while simultaneously developing plans for additional vaccinations.
The CS, who was accompanied by Eng Peter Tum, Principal Secretary of State Department Medical Services, and Dr.Patrick Amoth, acting Director General of Health, emphasized the significance of vaccinating girls against HPV in order to protect them against cervical cancer.
“The vaccine is highly effective, and some counties have coverage rates below 20%. It is essential to work with key opinion leaders to dispel myths and misconceptions about the vaccine,” she advised.
During National Immunization Week, Nakhumicha urged all relevant parties to redouble their efforts to immunize every single adult, child, and girl.
She praised the role of community health volunteers in contacting those who haven’t received vaccinations and asked health professionals to take advantage of their services to hasten vaccination coverage.
In addition, the Cabinet Secretary thanked all of the collaborators for their support over the years and asked all parties to cooperate to guarantee the calibre of immunization services and the protection of populations from diseases that are avoidable by vaccination.
