The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Nakhumicha S. Wafula, has called on all stakeholders to focus on reaching the unvaccinated and under-vaccinated populations.
This is even as Kenya marks National Immunization Week 2023. The theme for this year’s celebration is “The Big Catch-Up,” which highlights the need to reflect on the achievements made so far and to forge ahead to ensure that every child is vaccinated.
Speaking during the launch of the Immunization Policy Guidelines 2023, the Cabinet Secretary applauded the efforts of health workers and county leadership for their dedication to ensuring that routine immunization coverage stands at 80%, as reported by the last Kenya Demographic Health Survey.
โThe figure represents a slight improvement from 2014, despite the many changes the health system has undergone, including devolution and the Covid-19 pandemic,โ the CS noted.
“We must put all our efforts together in reaching the last child, no one should be left behind,” she added, emphasizing the need for county governments to allocate resources for immunization operations.
Kenya is due to transition from Gavi support by 2030, making it imperative to strengthen the primary health care structure through innovative financing of health services, including immunization.
Unvaccinated children
While Kenya has made significant strides in improving access to immunization services, the Cabinet Secretary expressed concern that the number of unvaccinated children continues to increase at the county level.
The most vulnerable populations are often left out, and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles occur.
She urged health workers to focus on increasing the coverage of the second dose of measles, even as they put in place strategies for other vaccines.
CS Nakhmicha also congratulated counties that have achieved high coverage rates and commended those that seem to be lagging, acknowledging the effort they have put in to reach those vaccinated.
She further called on stakeholders to work together to tackle challenges in a tailored fashion due to the uniqueness of each county.
The Cabinet Secretary also thanked partners for their support over the years and urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure the quality of immunization services and that populations are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
