A rapid increase in coverage of COVID-19 vaccination, Central African Republic
Bull. W.H.O. (Online)
; 101(6): 431-436, 2023. figures
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1436837
Responsible library:
CG1.1
ABSTRACT
Problem In 2021, Central African Republic was facing multiple challenges in vaccinating its population against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including inadequate infrastructure and funding, a shortage of health workers and vaccine hesitancy among the population. Approach To increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage, the health ministry used three main approaches (i) task shifting to train and equip existing community health workers (CHWs) to deliver COVID-19 vaccination; (ii) evidence gathering to understand people's reluctance to be vaccinated; and (iii) bundling of COVID-19 vaccination with the polio vaccination programme. Local setting Central African Republic is a fragile country with almost two thirds of its population in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite conducting two major COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, by January 2022 only 9% (503 000 people) of the 5 570 659 general population were fully vaccinated. Relevant changes In the 6 months from February to July 2022, Central African Republic tripled its coverage of COVID-19 vaccination to 29% (1 615 492 out of 5 570 659 people) by August 2022. The integrated polioCOVID-19 campaign enabled an additional 136 040 and 218 978 people to be vaccinated in the first and second rounds respectively, at no extra cost. Evidence obtained through surveys and focus group discussions enabled the health ministry to develop communication strategies to dispel vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions. Lessons learnt Task shifting COVID-19 vaccination to CHWs can be an efficient solution for rapid scaling-up of vaccination campaigns. Building trust with the community is also important for addressing complex health issues such as vaccine hesitancy. Collaborative efforts are necessary to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for high-risk and vulnerable populations.
Subject(s)
Full text:
Available
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
Community Health Workers
/
Vaccination Coverage
/
COVID-19 Vaccines
/
COVID-19
/
Vaccination Hesitancy
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Bull. W.H.O. (Online)
Year:
2023
Type:
Article
Institution/Affiliation country:
Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases Cluster, World Health Organization Inter-Country Support Teams Central Africa, Libreville, Gabon/GA
/
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé 1, BP, 1364 Yaoundé, Cameroon/CM
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Emergency Preparedness and Response, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo/CG
/
Expanded Programme on Immunization, Ministry of Health and Population, Bangui, Central African Republic/CF
/
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery, Coordination and Integration, Geneva, Switzerland/CH
/
UNICEF Headquarters, New York, United States of America/US
/
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), West and Central Africa Regional Office, Dakar, Senegal/SN
/
World Health Organization Country Office, Bangui, Central African Republic/CF
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