Child Poverty in Mozambique. A Situation and Trend ... - Unicef

Box 3.3: Combating measles and polio in Mozambique
Measles remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity among children.
Mozambique experienced a large epidemic in 2002/2004, with about 45,000
measles cases reported, particularly among children above five years of age. In
response to the epidemic and the global measles elimination initiative, in 2005
the Ministry of Health implemented the largest ever nation-wide vaccination
campaign. In addition to the immunisation against measles of all children between
9 months and 14 years of age, the campaign also aimed at boosting polio
immunisation coverage among under-five children in order to bring Mozambique a
step closer to being certified polio free.
The cornerstone of the polio eradication strategy is the maintenance of high levels
of routine immunisation coverage with at least 3 doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV)
among children under 1 year of age in addition to surveillance and supplementary
immunisation activities such as the 2005 vaccination campaign. Routine
immunisation rates of less than 90 per cent leave a population at substantial risk
of an outbreak in the event of a re-introduction of polio. Even with high routine
immunisation coverage, pockets of non-immunized children accumulate, favouring
the spread of polioviruses and an eventual polio outbreak. It is therefore essential
to ensure that all segments of the population are immunised. In this regard, the
administration of polio vaccine as part of the 2005 national vaccination campaign
was a key strategy for reaching the many existing pockets of unvaccinated
children, particularly in provinces such as Zambezia and Niassa, which in 2003
recorded only 50 per cent and 52 per cent coverage respectively.
The nation-wide vaccination campaign mobilised 40,130 persons, including 4,750
vaccinators working in 2,300 vaccination teams, 800 team supervisors and 14,000
volunteers. Vaccinations were handled at fixed vaccination sites and by mobile
teams. In order to ensure that children received two doses of polio vaccination,
two rounds were conducted in each of the eleven provinces of the country. During
the campaign over 8.1 million children were immunised against measles (9 month-
14 years old), over 4.3 million were vaccinated against polio during each round
(0-59 months old), and 3.4 million children received vitamin A supplementation
(6-59 months). Polio and measles vaccination coverage was 95 per cent among
the target population. The campaign also had an immediate impact on reducing
morbidity with the number of measles cases sharply decreasing after the end of
the campaign in week 37 of 2005 (see graph below).
1400
Figure 3.12: Number of measles cases by weeks for
period January 2003 to April 2006
1200
Number of cases
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Source: MISAU, 2006
2003 2004 2005 2006
92 CHILDHOOD POVERTY IN MOZAMBIQUE: A SITUATION AND TRENDS ANALYSIS