DJIBOUTI
It’s a Thursday morning 40 kilometers (25 miles) outside of Djibouti City on Route Nationale 1. Kadir Sirey and Doualeh Idriss drape their arms out of the back seat windows of a Toyota Land Cruiser yell across the road in the two Ethiopian languages they most often encounter among the migrants they serve. Two men and one woman cross the busy highway to come meet them.
“Oromo or Amharic?” Kadir asks climbing out of the SUV. “Oromo,” one man replies as he reaches out to receive the water bottle and crackers being handed to him. Kadir and Doualeh are part of a 6-person mobile vaccination team that CGPP supports, delivering vaccination services five days a week around the town of Arta, elevated 740 meters (2,400 feet) higher than Djibouti City. The team provides routine immunization for children 0-5 and COVID-19 vaccinations for adults 18 and older. The team explains the COVID-19 vaccine to the travelers and asks them if they would like to receive it. The two men consent. Doualeh then dons his rubber gloves and starts prepping the vaccines from the insulated cold box. The 22-year-old traveler watches his friend, 18, receive the vaccine. Doualeh begins explaining in Somali the possible side effects. Kadir translates to Oromo. “Did it hurt?” the 22-year-old asks. “No,” his friend says smiling. The most recent report from the International Organization for Migration says that in February 2024, 14,483 Ethiopian migrants (24 percent female) passed through Djibouti, which overall encounters unique migration challenges as a small country connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.
CGPP began work in Djibouti in April 2023. The project aims to enhance the Ministry of Health’s capacity to increase the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination by integrating it with routine immunization and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance.
Implementing Partners
CGPP Djibouti is implemented through Amref Health Africa with its sub-grantee, Sadar Development and Resilience Institute.
