Collective Effort to Enhance Immunization Services in Low Performing and Hard to Reach Areas (CEISLPA)/GAVI

CEISPLA project is focused on creating awareness, accessing services for hard to reach community and increase immunization coverage in the project implementation areas to save children’s lives and protecting people’s health through the widespread use of vaccine in order to attain sustainability at local level by involving communities in the planning and delivery of immunization, child and other health services and encourage cooperation and coordination of efforts among stockholders; FMoH, RHB, WHO, clan leaders, religious leaders and the community in general.

The project targeted 14,862 under one children, 15,683 pregnant women and 110,334 women in child bearing age same with CGPP implementation Zones and Woredas.

Major achievements

 In improving the community Immunization service utilization, the project mainstreamed religious structures and schools. In doing so awareness raising 40 sheiks/Immams and teachers were conducted During the session, briefing immunization, vaccine preventable diseases, routine static sites where the communities can get daily immunization services, the need to prevent children and mothers from vaccine preventable diseases. This activity was also done with second cycle primary schools system (Grade 5 – 8); 27 teachers participated in a two days basic training on basic immunization literacy and communication and social mobilization contributing to improve routine immunization coverage in GAVI CSO implementation areas.

Moreover, training on EPI for 30 HEWs and 6 woreda EPI officers and EPI focal person on Data management and data quality assurance were conducted. Similarly, 15 HEWs trained on cold chain maintenance. A result of those activity conducted under GAVI project including

establishing, re-establishing and strengthen static, outreach and mobile EPI sites able to conduct 54 mobile immunization service sessions and improve access with the OR EPI/ reported with CGPP and improved demand of immunization service of the community.

Considering the life style of the pastoralist community, integrating vaccination with animal health is an innovation by PC to reach children and mothers who are traveling with the livestock. In the reporting period 1,676 children and 403,500 livestock vaccinated.