Physical Health Mali Project #1174

Vaccinate Children and Prevent NINE Diseases

by Ouelessebougou Alliance

Vaccinate Children and Prevent NINE Diseases

Project Report | Feb 2, 2021
Partnership Powers Vaccinations

By Judy Hut | Executive Director

As COVID-19 spreads throughout the world, immunization efforts must continue to prevent outbreaks of other diseases and their deadly impact. Maintaining routine childhood immunizations is critically important during the pandemic. We must safeguard children from increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. Our collective attention may be on the development and distribution of the coronavirus vaccine, but it does not erase the pervasive need for immunizations in third-world countries like Mali.

The WHO reported in 2018 that childhood vaccines save an estimated 2- 3 million lives worldwide and they substantially contributed to the reduction of the infant global mortality rate. We also know that many of the diseases that kill children in Mali are entirely preventable with only 45% of children in Mali receiving basic vaccinations and 14% receiving no vaccination at all. We can share research, statistics, and reports on why childhood immunizations in Africa are so important, but what really matters is the solution. What is to be done and how are we going to do it?

At the Ouelessebougou Alliance, our approach is very simple and can be summed up in one word: PARTNERSHIP. We partner with the Malian government and Ouelessebougou hospital to distribute routine vaccinations in areas that normally wouldn't receive them. Our goal is to reach as many children as we can. We work in 25 partner villages and we make sure that not only do they can have access to vaccinations for free. That means the vaccinator from the hospital will travel to these remote villages and work with our resident Health Agent to ensure that every child in need receives an immunization up to the age of 5 years old.

For many of us in different parts of the world, we may not think twice about when or how our child will get immunized. But in rural Ouelessebougou, this is not something the mothers take for granted. Many did not even understand the importance of routine vaccinations until the Alliance started training them. Others would not have the financial means to pay to travel to the hospital or pay the fee to vaccinate their child. We are humbled and grateful that our donors make it possible for us to distribute over 15,000 vaccines each year.

Please remember the need for immunizations in Mali -- and thank you for supporting this project. If you know of anyone else looking for a worthy cause, please consider sharing this report with them.

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Oct 5, 2020
Protecting Mali's Most Vulnerable

By Judy Hut | Executive Director

Teningini is our amazing Malian Program Manager who helps facilitate our mmunization program in rural Ouelessebougou. I met Teningnini's grandson during my trip to Mali back in January. She was thrilled to introduce me to the newest member of her family. What a sweet boy. And healthy...as you can see from those chubby cheeks!

Teningini and her family are fortunate. Because of Teningnini's long tenure with the Alliance, she has taught her daughters the importance of health, sanitation and nutrition. Teningnini's daughter lives in the capital city of Bamako where she and her son have access to adequate healthcare. Because of this, her baby boy has started receiving his routine childhood immunizations. He is being protected by preventable illness and disease.

Currently, every tenth child in Mali dies before the age of 5, while one in 33 newborns do not survive the first month of life. Only 45% of children in Mali receive all the basic vaccinations and 14% do not receive vaccinations at all, depriving them from protection from common childhood illnesses.

Because of the global pandemic, immunizations are more important than ever. Routine vaccinations safeguard children from contracting and spreading disease. Although some of these illnesses may seem to pose a minimal threat, the COVID-19 virus has shown us the wide-reaching impact of a disease that cannot be easily treated or prevented with a vaccine.

Vulnerable families in Ouelessebougou are limited to access to adequate healthcare and vaccinations. Without the Alliance's immunization program, many children would not be vaccinated. We partner with the hospital to provide vaccines in remote and rural villages -- FREE of charge. This is critical for the health and well-being of children ages 0 - 5.

For the cost of a fast food combo meal, one child in Ouelessebougou can be vaccinated from 9 diseases for $5. Thank you for your generosity and making it possible for us to help thousands. Please consider donating or helping us by sharing and spreading the word.

Links:

http://www.lifteachother.org

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Jun 8, 2020
Vaccinations in Mali, West Africa

By Emily Muir | Vaccinations in Mali, West Africa

Millions of deaths are caused each year by preventable diseases in third world countries. Vaccinations are a proven resolution and also the most cost effective resolution that is availblae to these countries and their governments. However, in Mali the goverment continues to fail to keep up with the vaccinations and in the villages the families do not have the resources, funds and sometimes the healthcare knowledge to get vaccinations for their children. In Mali, specifically in rural areas infectious diseases contiues to be the number one reason for death.

When a child grows up economically disadvantaged and in great poverty they are at greater risk of disease. They most likely do not have access to clean water, are subjected to malnutrition and do not have access to good healthcare. This creates the domino effect; a viscious cycle. When a mother has access to vaccinations and the ability to vaccinate her child it automatically breaks that cycle. It gives her child a better chance at fighting off infectious disease. When a child is vaccinated, the child has a better chance of fighting off disease, of staying in school, of working and gaining employment and becoming a healthy and sucessful adult, thus boosting the economy.

In the rural communities villagers already face malaria which continues to take the lives of one out of every five children that are under the age of five. It is the number one cause of death among infants. We must continue to provide vaccinations to prevent the spread of other infectious diseases to give children the chance to survive in these rurual villages. Most recently we have seen the spread of a new deadly virus, COVID-19. It is now more important than ever to continue to vaccinate. The Alliance continues to partner with the government and 25 villages to provide vaccinations against nine deadly diseases to childrten under the age of five and expecting mothers. The cost to vaccinate a child, to save a life is $5 in Mali, West Africa. Please consider helping us continue to rasie money for vaccinations and prevent the spread of infectious disease.

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