Mothers and children line up for vaccinations and health care at a UNICEF-supported mobile health clinic in Farankasa village, Zamfara State, Nigeria in November 2018.Imagine you are the matriarch of a big family that – like many families – has spread across the country you live in. In one district where half of your grandchildren live, those children have reliable access to good health care and vaccines that can protect them from diseases like measles and pneumonia.
"Despite the incredible progress the world has made in increasing immunization coverage, a child's likelihood of being protected from preventable infectious disease is often dictated by where he or she lives." This week is World Immunization Week. Celebrated the last week of April, it aims to promote the lifesaving power of vaccines to protect people of all ages against preventable diseases. It seems more relevant now than ever, in light of the global measles outbreak. To celebrate this week, I want to highlight some everyday heroes who have inspired me with their commitment to immunization.
"A region's vaccination coverage is often a reflection of the quality of leadership at the helm of its immunization program."Vaccinating every child requires that we find new ways of doing things, even if they are seemingly mundane. Take record keeping, for example. Many health clinics around the globe are burdened with back rooms overflowing with paper records of patients, supplies, and more.
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