RAISE 4 ZDC in Sahel Project initiates Communication Plan
A robust Communication Plan has been rolled out, which if well scrutinized by management, would fast track the implementation of the Raise for Zero Dose Children (RAISE 4 ZDC) project. A team of 28 communicators and journalists drawn from the CBC Health Services, the Ministry of Health and the private media converged on the CBC Mvan Resource Center in Yaounde in a workshop to brainstorm on mobilization and communication strategies for the RAISE 4 ZDC project. The working session held on September 2, 2022.
In his opening statements, the workshop moderator, Mr. Abanda Alphonse said the purpose of the workshop was to bring everyone on board to share ideas and strategies that could assist the CBC Health Services carry out the RAISE 4 ZDC vaccination project. He said communication is key in changing the behaviour of people in the target regions for the uptake of vaccination.
The Program Manager, Dr. Foyeth Eugene gave an Overview of the Project while the Extended Program of Immunization (EPI) team (three of them from the Ministry of Health) gave the EPI Communication approach, bringing out areas of challenges that the CBC Health Services can learn from and meet the project target safely. The challenges include among others: mistrust of health workers at the advent of COVID-19, limited finances to reinforce EPI communication, lack of communication plans by some districts, limited collaboration with other actors and limited inclusion of persons with disabilities.
According to Dr. Foyeth, the RAISE 4 ZDC project focuses on searching, finding and vaccinating all children in vulnerable and fragile communities in four regions in Cameroon namely: Littoral, Northwest, Southwest and Far North. As more funds become available, the project will include the Centre and West regions with equally high numbers of unvaccinated children. The idea is that, “In every community, all children in need of vaccination will be identified and systematically reached with the appropriate vaccines. No child should be left behind wherever they may be or whatever their condition.”
The workshop broke out into three groups to work on the demand issues of vaccination, the supply issues and the cross-cutting issues around vaccination. The recommendations will be further digested and approved by management for them to become the communication plan for the RAISE 4 ZDC in Sahel project.
The vaccination project is implemented by the CBC Health Services in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, thanks to funding to the CBC Health Services by GAVI USA via the Cameroon Christian Health Association (CHA) through the African Christian Health Association Partnership (ACHAP).