Week 1: Community Assignment

Obert Silwimba.

Chief Cold Chain Officer,

Ministry Of Health

Lusaka ,Zambia

The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) is the Program meant for vaccines delivery and vaccination to control, eliminate and eradicate vaccine preventable diseases. Having strong immunization systems to deliver vaccines to those who need them most will play a significant role in achieving Health, Equity and Economic objectives of several global development goals. These include the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2011- 2020 Decade of Vaccines, the 2030 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, the 2011-2020 Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), the Global Routine Immunization Strategy and Plan (GRISP), and the Regional Strategic Plan for Immunization 2014-2020.

The Reaching Every District strategy (REDs) sometimes Known as Reaching Every Community (RECs) has played a key role in successfully strengthening African immunization systems to sustainably and equitably increase immunization coverage rates to meet established targets since the early 2000's. The RED/ C Strategy Consist of five Operational Components which include: Improved planning and management of resources; 2, reaching all eligible populations through regular Static and out-reach Immunization activities, 3) Linking and engaging with communities; 4) conducting regular and consistent supportive supervision; and 5) monitoring and using data for action. It is hoped that the adoption and effective implementation of the RED strategy will promote equity and attainment of high vaccination coverage in most of the Countries. Zambia has been Implementing RED strategy since 2004 and with it the country has seen a tremendous vaccination in a number of Antigen vaccinations Coverage.

Before the adoption of this strategy, Zambia so a lot of iniquity in the and lower coverage in a number of antigens with consistent outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases across the country. This was mostly observed with Measles out breaks especially in had to reach communities. This was associated with poor planning for such communities, lack of integration of the immunization service with of other Health intervention, inconsistent static and outreach activities, irregular or poor supportive supervision and generally poor record keeping and data management..

The Guideline on RED Strategy and the WHO Planning Guideline are important in addressing the Challenges of both Access and Utilization which are the common features of Equity and coverage. Following the guidelines the County will be able to improve its resource planning and utilization, Re vitalization of static and outreach activities, linking services with the community, supportive supervision and monitoring for action.

Finally with reference the challenges of equity and coverage, especially the issues of Missed Opportunities, I recommend that districts should emphasize the development of RED strategy Micro plans for this will greatly address most of the challenges as highlighted in RED strategy Guidelines, the WHO Planning Guidelines. For the purpose of this discussion and the course I will recommend and adopt the use of the WHO planning guideline. This is because most of the identified causes of un equal service delivery and poor/coverage are associated with poor planning in terms of Resources, supplies, community engagement, Supportive supervision and use of data for program implementation,