KENYA & SOMALIA

CGPP Horn of Africa (Kenya and Somalia) supports interventions to strengthen immunization systems to achieve polio eradication and enhance population immunity among the special populations of nomadic pastoralists, internally displaced persons, and hard-to-reach communities along the Kenya-Somalia borders through targeted, integrated immunization and surveillance outreaches.

CGPP Kenya 

In the remote expanse of Kibish in Turkana County, Kenya, dedicated community mobilizer Victor Ngimoe uncovers a suspected case of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in his village that raises concern among the residents. Guided by unwavering determination and fueled by a sense of purpose, Victor fearlessly navigates the challenging terrain on his trusty motorbike, a reliable companion that journeys with him. Through rocky paths and treacherous landscapes, Victor battles the elements to swiftly transport the two crucial stool samples, taken 48 hours apart, from the child suspected to have polio. From his training, Victor knows the samples need to be at the lab within 14 days after onset. “Sometimes you have to go above and beyond for your people,” he says.  

Victor is one of 125 community mobilizers volunteering with CGPP Kenya, all of whom overcome obstacles to ensure the potential threat of diseases is addressed. In FY23, CGPP Kenya also supported 1,305 community health volunteers in counties that border Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and South Sudan conducting community-based surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, and response activities. The project sensitized 495,402 community members on disease surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis, vaccine-preventable diseases, priority zoonotic diseases, nutrition, and proper hygiene and sanitation practices in FY23. CGPP volunteers detected and reported 81 suspected acute flaccid paralysis cases and 621 priority zoonotic disease cases. 

CGPP Somalia 

In an effort to raise public awareness, address misinformation and disinformation, and build trust among his community, one of CGPP Somalia’s 20 community mobilizers, Mohamed Omar, purposefully repeats sessions with certain community leaders in order to demystify the rumors that spread about vaccine-preventable diseases like polio and COVID-19. During the COVID-19 rumors, he met individually with religious leaders, elders, and youth, including Ahmed Hussein Ali, a prominent community leader, after community dialogue sessions that CGPP hosted. Ahmed, who believed the COVID-19 vaccine was a government ploy, said that he was left in awe when he realized people were still discussing it. “I thought that it was no longer a threat, just government propaganda.” Mohamed held several sessions with Ahmed, which still produced no change in the community leader. However, one of Ahmed’s relatives also told Ahmed about the benefits of the vaccine, which eventually moved him to get vaccinated. Ahmed returned to Mohamed and apologized for his poor reaction. “Thank you for always engaging our communities in matters of health without forcing anyone and continuously following up,” Ahmed said to Mohamed. 

Because of 182 dedicated community volunteers and mobilizers like Mohamed, in FY23, the project reached 61,291 community members with community sensitization messages on polio, routine immunization, and COVID-19. The team supported seven integrated outreach sessions, reaching 146 children under 5 with routine antigens and supported the vaccination of 19,705 children under 5 during polio supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) at crossing points, internally displaced person camps, and hard-to-reach areas. Care group discussions led by the 270 mothers who were trained this year – who then sensitized other mothers in their own neighborhoods – resulted in the referral of 2,734 children for polio and other routine immunizations. Additionally, CGPP CMs traced 90 percent of routine immunization defaulters in all project border districts.

Resources