Lesotho implements Reaching Every District (RED) Strategy to strengthen vaccination and other health services
The Ministry of Health in Lesotho, recognizing the importance of focusing at the district level for vaccination service delivery has, in partnership with WHO Lesotho, began conducting training of health facility nurses on the RED Approach strategy to strengthening vaccination coverage for the districts with the largest numbers of unvaccinated children.
The first training was conducted in Leribe from the 08th -11th October 2012. The training was facilitated by Mrs. Perpetua Kububa, a WHO consultant and Mrs. Selloane Maepe the EPI focal person in WCO Lesotho.
In her opening remarks at the opening of the training, Mrs. Popo Ntjona, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Manager in the Ministry of Health, welcomed all participants who were present. She explained that the RED Strategy has five components aimed at improving coverage in every district, at health facility level, by addressing common vaccination obstacles.
The strategy also encourages countries to use coverage data to make analysis of the distribution of unvaccinated infants, and thereby prioritize districts with poor access and utilization of vaccination. Thereafter, districts are encouraged to make microplans to identify local problems and adopt corrective solutions.
After three days of training with the nurses, the councilors, chiefs and village health workers were invited to a session with the purpose of improving long term interaction between health staff and communities by promoting regular meetings to increase service demand and utilization.
During the question and answer sessions of the training, participants discussed many vaccination obstacles. Issues involving stock out, poor planning, lack of roads and infrastructure, long walking hours to reach health centers, lack of information among expectant mothers who do not attend clinics during pregnancy were among those discussed.
Mrs. Maepe who helped facilitate the training, stressed that the RED approach will help to reduce gaps in vaccination coverage. Mrs Maepe explained that the RED approach offers planning strategies for better management of resources and works to reach all target populations, provide supportive supervision, link communities with service delivery, and ensure monitoring for action. At every stage, RED Strategy focuses on vaccinating every child and pregnant woman, which can result in lifetime protection through vaccination against life-threatening diseases.
Mrs. Perpetua Kububa emphasized that government has to support from the national, regional and district levels, for the effectiveness and success in the implementation of the RED approach as Lesotho is really performing badly. She added that trained staff should be employed to reach and successfully execute vaccination activities in remote areas.
In closing the training, Mr. Molapo Molapo, a Community Councilor, on behalf of the District Administrator, thanked the facilitators for a job well done and promised to start, as soon as possible, to implement this approach in the hope of reducing the child illness and mortality rates in the district.
The strategy was implemented in two districts,Leribe and Maseru. Plans are already underway to roll out the strategy nationally.
