GAVI [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/

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07 July 2015
Gavi to support rebuilding of immunisation programmes in Ebola-affected countries
Worryingly low immunisation rates risk further deaths as Ebola recedes.
Geneva, 7 July 2015 – Plans to rebuild immunisation services wrecked by the Ebola crisis in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will form the first stage of Gavi’s Ebola investment support and will ensure that hundreds of thousands of children who either missed out or are at risk of missing out will now receive their vaccinations. Additionally, as part of a coordinated approach to ensure the three countries are stronger and more resilient to infectious disease, Gavi is doubling its long-term support for their health systems through to 2020.

One of the big issues affecting immunisation has been trust in health services. Rumours circulating in the region have falsely claimed that childhood vaccines, such as those protecting against measles, pneumonia and diarrhoea, could be linked to Ebola. This has dealt a severe blow to immunisation coverage, with parents refusing to allow their children to be immunised against common but potentially-fatal conditions, leaving hundreds of thousands of children at risk.

Additionally, hundreds of health workers in the three countries were among the 10,000 people who lost their lives to Ebola during the crisis and many more were forced to abandon their posts as the epidemic took hold. As the three countries begin their return to normality there is now a severe shortage of trained health workers to administer vaccines.

Gavi support will include provision for civil society organisations to work with communities to hold meetings, briefing village chiefs and religious leaders on the importance of immunising children. It will also ensure that there are enough trained health workers to provide the vaccines to the children…