Access to COVID-19 vaccine in every health centre, soon
MBABANE – Integrating COVID-19 vaccine immunisation programmes will ease COVID-19 vaccine access for communities.
The government of Eswatini, in collaboration with its partners, is working on the integration of COVID-19 vaccine into already existing immunisation programmes and primary health care (PHC) services in health facilities to ensure easy access to the vaccine by communities. This will help to increase the country’s coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine to reach the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended 70 per cent coverage for countries, for them to reach immunity levels.
Communications and Advocacy Manager at The ASPIRE Project, Muzi Yende, said integrating COVID-19 into immunisation programmes and within the different service points in health facilities will help in making the vaccine more accessible to people.
The ASPIRE Project, implemented by the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation with USAID funding, is currently supporting selected health facilities in the Hhohho and Shiselweni regions to conduct COVID-19 vaccine integration campaigns in an effort to increase uptake of the vaccine.
Yende said while Eswatini managed to reach the 10 per cent vaccine coverage by September 2022, it has failed to meet the 70 per cent coverage, which was targeted mid-2022. This he said, resulted in The ASPIRE Project supporting the government in coming up with strategies that will help increase the uptake. He said while COVID-19 cases had gone down over the past months, it remains important for people who have not vaccinated to do so and for those who need boosters to also follow suit.
Yende said the vaccine helped to minimise deaths, severe disease and overall disease burden, which was what all countries want to see happening as they return to full socio-economic activity and reduced the risk of new variants. “Integrating the COVID-19 vaccine into immunisation programmes and primary health care services will help people in communities to request for this service whenever they come to their health facilities for whatever service,” he said.