Gavi Boss dates CHAZ

Gavi Managing Director, Thabani Maphosa paid a courtesy call to CHAZ Executive Director, Mrs. Karen Sichinga at the CHAZ complex on Friday, 17^th March 2023.

During his visit, Mr. Maphosa, in the company of the Gavi Director for Countries, Ms. Colette Selman, discussed among other things the implementation of current GAVI support.

“I am very impressed with what I heard concerning your community mobilization capacity, CHAZ is one of the least tapped potentials in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Consortium.” Said Mr. Maphosa.

Speaking at the same for a, CHAZ Executive Director, Mrs. Karen Sichinga reiterated CHAZ’s commitment to ending vaccine preventable diseases.

Gavi’s mission is to save lives and protect people’s health by increasing equitable and sustainable use of vaccines. Gavi supports countries to strengthen primary health care through innovative partnerships that address challenges of access to immunisation.

By improving access to new and under-used vaccines for millions of the most vulnerable children, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is transforming the lives of individuals, helping to boost the economies of countries and making the world safer for everyone.

Gavi’s support helps improve global health security by reducing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks that have epidemic and pandemic potential. Crucial to this engagement is Gavi’s support for emergency vaccine stockpiles to protect against the epidemic-prone diseases cholera, Ebola, meningococcal meningitis and yellow fever.

Gavi supports routine immunisation programmes to strengthen access to and delivery of PHC as a pathway towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

According to the GAVI official website, from its inception in 2000 and in collaboration with African governments, Gavi has helped introduce 9 vaccines into routine immunisation programmes in multiple countries; reach 364 million unique children; and avert more than 8.9 million future deaths on the 

The Zambia Civil Society Immunisation Platform is engaged in efforts to improve immunisation such as supporting and coordinating the scaling up and strengthening the capacity of the integrated health strengthening systems in order to increase equity in access to services.

The Zambia Civil Society Immunisation Platform was formed in 2014 and launched in 2015with a membership of 62 organizations drawn from 6 provinces (Lusaka, Southern, Luapula, Northen, Muchinga, Copperbelt) with the main goal of getting every child immunized by closely working with government. CHAZ is the Secretariat for ZCSIP.

The setting up of ZCSIP comes from the bedrock of Gavi having a deliberate policy to involve and engage CSOs. 

 Today the platform has 66 members with presence in 96 districts of the 10 provinces. The platform’s supports and services include: capacity building, small grants for demand creation, coordination and advocacy. The Immunization programme aims at reaching all children with the targeted vaccines before they attain their first birthday.

According to the GAVI official website, from its inception in 2000 and in collaboration with African governments, Gavi has helped introduce 9 vaccines into routine immunisation programmes in multiple countries and has reached 364 million unique children and averted more than 8.9 million future deaths on the continent.

The involvement of CSOs in the project has led to increased Capacity and interest of member CSOs in Immunization; Increased appreciation for community factors contributing to low Vaccine uptake; Identifying and building capacity of Immunization Champions. The project also engaged vaccine hostile communities (e.g. Zionists in Sinazongwe district) that did not practice immunisation.  

The involvement of CSOs, the first of its kind saw the programme scoring successes in the following; Defaulter tracing and Vaccination of which an animation video was produced, titled “My Health, My Wealth”; Religious Leaders and groups engaged in immunisation; Held the first ever Media Campaign on immunisation, “Make your Child a V.I.P (Vaccinated, Immunized and Protected).” 

The successes recorded by the project did not go without challenges and some of the challenges identifies were: Inadequate advocacy to strengthen the EPI, Inadequate HR for CSOs to engage in multiple processes and competency areas. Other challenges were listed as; Inadequate Administrative support for CSOs and Inadequate community mobilization resources for Vaccine introduction grants.

In an effort to continue scoring huge milestones, ZCSIP has identified the following factors which need to be put in place for continued success; Strengthening Ring-fencing of resources for local CSOs and; Increase resources for demand generation for Vaccine introduction grants.