DILI, 12 januaryu 2023 (TATOLI) – The Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Health (MoH), together with the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), launched the country’s first integrated national vaccination campaign.
This campaign aims to ensure that 95% of Timorese children under the age of five are vaccinated and protected from childhood diseases.
According to MoH data, 188,125 will receive Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), 184,146 will receive Pneumococcal Vaccine (PCV), 164,251 will receive Measles and Rubella Vaccine (MR Vaccine), 172,209 will receive Vitamin A, and 156,293 children will receive Albendazole (Deworming Tablet).
Children under five years old across the country will be vaccinated against measles, rubella, pneumonia, and polio. They will also receive Vitamin A, which boosts their immunity and improves their eyesight. Children will also be given deworming tablets that keep lumbricoides away to help them absorbs food better.
Health Minister, Odete Belo said that the integrated vaccination campaign program was part of the government’s commitment to protecting Timorese children, as they are the future builders of the nation.
“This campaign is important to protect our children from disease and even death,” Minister Belo said in a statement on the occasion of the launch of the country’s National Integrated Vaccination campaign in Timor-Leste.
In 2018, with 98% measles and rubella vaccine coverage, WHO certified and congratulated Timor-Leste for eliminating measles and having rubella under control.
Speaking at the same occasion, WHO Timor-Leste Representative, Arvind Mathur said that 24% of children less than five years did not receive the Measles and Rubella vaccine during Covid-19: “Alarmingly, there were lab confirmed Measles cases in 2022 indicating an outbreak for which containment response was immediately mounted.”
“Children who were born after 2018 needed to be given the MR vaccine, but many of those children missed receiving the vaccine. Therefore, this Campaign is critical to bridge the vaccination gap and cover those children who have not yet been vaccinated with the MR vaccine,” said Mathur.
He said that the Integrated Campaign was recommended by WHO as a supplementary immunization activity to bridge the vaccination gap to protect children from death and morbidity.
Mathur said it is important to introduce the benefit of the new vaccine called pneumococcal vaccine (PVC): Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children under five, including in Timor-Leste. In fact, 21% of children under five have been admitted to hospital with pneumonia condition.”
He stressed that it is also crucial to keep Timor-Leste free of polio: “That is why we added the polio vaccine.”
Dr. Shyam Pathak of UNICEF said that UNICEF provides technical, logistic, and financial assistance to the Ministry of Health and SAMES to support the national integrated campaign: “All the vaccines and immunization-related devices have been procured through UNICEF procurement service. The UNICEF team works in close collaboration with the National team and municipality team to support the national integrated campaign with a target to reach 95% of eligible children under the age of 5 years.”
UNICEF also supported the Health Promotion department to disseminate the campaign messages through social media (Facebook and WhatsApp), community radio announcements and talk shows, and TV channels as well as through vehicle miking cars in the communities. Mother Support Group also plays a crucial part in this integrated campaign advocacy — through their network and spread the message up to the household level on the importance of this integrated campaign.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
