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Red Cross and Partners Plan Massive Vaccination Program in Togo
Written by
Lesly C. Hallman
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Monday, November 29, 2004 — Next month while the United States and countries around the world prepare to celebrate the holiday season, a group of dedicated volunteers and organizations dedicated to children’s health will bring the gift of life to nearly a million children in Togo as a part of a massive measles vaccination and malaria prevention campaign.
A Ugandan Red Cross volunteer explains the importance of measles vaccination for young children during an early Measles Initiative campaign. (Photo by Daniel Cima).
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More about Togo
Size: 56,785 sq. km.; slightly smaller than West Virginia.
Population: Just under 5 million
Capitol: Lomé
The official language is French
Togo is bounded by Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, and the Gulf of Guinea. The climate varies from tropical to savanna.
Image and text courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
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Measles is the leading vaccine-preventable childhood killer in the world. In less than one week between Dec. 13th and 19th nearly 900,000 children under the age of 5 in Togo will be vaccinated against measles and polio, which experts predict could result in a nearly 50 percent reduction in mortality from the disease.
Before the Measles Initiative began in 2001, 44 million children suffered from measles each year and more than 700,000 died from the disease. In Africa alone, there were more than 12 million cases of measles annually, resulting in the deaths of 450,000 children - more than HIV, tuberculosis, and malnutrition. But since the start of the Measles Initiative, more than 140 million African children have been vaccinated against the disease, reducing cases and deaths by 50 percent.
The Togo vaccination campaign is a part of the Measles Initiative, an American Red Cross-led partnership supported by African National Red Cross Societies, based on the same global model used to eliminate polio. Partners include the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Togo is next in line of several African countries to benefit from this unique international initiative, and for the first time, measles vaccinations will be combined with the wide-scale distribution of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) to help prevent malaria. ITNs are vital in fighting death and disease due to malaria, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 90 percent of deaths due to malaria worldwide. The lessons learned from this first nationwide integrated campaign are expected to support similar future efforts in Africa.
In addition, each eligible child will also receive for free the polio vaccine, mebendazole (to fight intestinal worms) and vitamin A for children under five years old.
“The Measles Initiative has set up a system to successfully bring measles vaccinations to the most vulnerable, hard to reach populations and we are now measuring our success at using this same system to help prevent malaria,” said Gerry Jones, Vice President, American Red Cross International Services. “So far, the Initiative has vaccinated more than 120 million children, saving more than 300,000 lives. If we determine that this system can also be used to help prevent malaria and other diseases, the results regarding lives saved will be staggering.
This will be the last vaccination campaign for the year— 14 countries are scheduled to hold campaigns next year, vaccinating some 45 million children.
In support of the mission of the Measles Initiative, international airline Air France is in the first year of a three year agreement with the American Red Cross to donate air travel for staff and volunteers traveling as a part of the vaccination programs.
“Air France is committed to making real contributions toward improving the situation in countries that require assistance in meeting the medical needs of their citizens,” said Marie-Joseph Malè, vice president and general manager of Air France U.S.A. “Through the efforts of the American Red Cross and additional Air France humanitarian efforts, we hope to provide a vital link between those that need help and those who can offer it.”
In addition to the large-scale vaccination and ITN distribution, Togo will also benefit from improved health and epidemiological research as a result of this campaign. Staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is already working with officials in Togo’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization in the capital city of Lomè to bolster Togo’s health management information system.
Launched in February 2001, the Measles Initiative is a long-term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating 200 million children and preventing 1.2 million deaths over five years. Leading this effort is the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Other key players in the fight against measles include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and countries and governments affected by measles. While the Measles Initiative is focused in Africa where the majority of measles-related deaths occur, partners also work on a wide-range of health initiatives around the world, including measles control and other vaccination services outside of Africa.
For more information about the Measles Initiative, log on to www.measlesinitiative.org.
To make a financial contribution, call 1-800 HELP NOW or to make a secure online donation, log on to www.measlesinitiative.org.
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