National Vaccination Days: When Vitamin A Becomes Bait!

True to a tradition started in 1998, the Canadian government, through Global Affairs Canada, GAC and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Cameroon, is financing the Vitamin A supplementation component of the 2022 National Vaccination Days against polio. Worth 610 million FCFA, GAC’s funding targets children aged 6-59 months. Running in Cameroon, alongside neighbouring countries from May 13-16 and June 10-13, the campaign is organised by the Ministry of Public Health and partners like the World Health Organisation, WHO and UNICEF.     
“We do not have any cases of polio vaccine refusal. Vitamin A supplementation serves as bait to vaccination because our children love it so much!” explains Dr Tcheumaga Djomgue Sylvain Augustin, the District Medical Officer for Garoua Boulai. “The figures for vaccination without Vitamin A supplementation are generally lower than those combined with it,” Dr Tcheumaga adds.
“Because of regular sensitisation, Central African Republic, CAR refugees in Gado Badzere Camp don’t have problems with vaccination or Vitamin A supplementation. Each time we have an activity in the camp, everything goes smoothly. Some parents even ask to be given Vitamin A! But we explain that it is meant for children,” concurs Elhadj Aboubakar, Head of Gado Badzere Integrated Health Centre, located in Garoua Boulai Health District.
Garoua Boulai Health District in Lom and Djerem Division is located 250 km from Bertoua, headquarters of East Region on the Bertoua-Ngaoundere highway. It has 8 operational health areas comprising 5 State-owned health facilities and 10 private (including a Protestant hospital).
Dr Tcheumaga says the target in Garoua Boulai Health District for the current campaign is over 36,000 children. After the first day of vaccination, 30 per cent of children had already been reached, he assures. “We have a CAR refugee population of about 60,000, with about 25,000 living in Gado Bad...