PORT AU PRINCE – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says has launched a campaign to vaccinate more than two million children in Haiti against diphtheria, a bacterial infection that causes throat inflammation and difficulty breathing and that, in severe cases, can lead to death.
PAHO said that the programme, which will target children between the ages one to 14 was launched in mid-March by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.
In the first phase, PAHO said campaign activities are focused on 27 communes in eight departments: Artibonite, Center, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Sud and Sud-Est.
According to a preliminary report, around one million children were vaccinated and PAHO said on April 8, a similar campaign is slated to begin in Haiti’s Ouest department, the most populated in the country, seeking to reach more than 1.2 million children.
“The ministry has decided to conduct a campaign in 40 communes where diphtheria has been confirmed or is suspected,” said Laurent Adriane, MSPP Director General, adding “making vaccines available is the goal of the Ministry of Health and its main partners, such as PAHO and UNICEF.”
Since the beginning of this year, PAHO said Haiti has reported 14 confirmed cases of diphtheria and 48 probable cases. Children under 15 are the most affected, and nearly half of the confirmed and probable cases were not vaccinated, PAHO said.
During this period, it said there have been six deaths among the probable cases and one among the confirmed cases.
“This vaccination campaign seeks to reach all those children who have not received the essential vaccines to be protected against diphtheria,” said PAHO Representative in Haiti Luis Codina.
“This is also the largest preventive vaccination campaign in the country since 2016, when similar efforts were made towards the elimination of measles and rubella.”
PAHO said it is collaborating with Haiti in the response to the diphtheria outbreak with technical and financial support of the operational costs of the vaccination campaign.
Vaccines against diphtheria and immunisation supplies are being acquired through the PAHO Revolving Fund, a pooled procurement mechanism that allows countries in the region to purchase vaccines at affordable prices, PAHO said.
It said support is also being provided for purchases of diphtheria antitoxin to treat cases, and antibiotics for cases and contacts.
To carry out this campaign, PAHO said more than 6 300 vaccinators have been mobilised, organised in 3,181 vaccination teams. They were trained by departmental and national supervisors, with the support of PAHO experts.
“Local supervision and independent monitoring of vaccination coverage will take place during and after the campaign to ensure the technical quality of the campaign,” PAHO said, noting that diphtheria is preventable by vaccination.
Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Symptoms often appear gradually, starting with sore throat and fever. In severe cases, the bacteria generate a toxin that results in a thick grey or white plaque in the throat, blocking airways and hindering breathing or swallowing, and may cause a dry cough, PAHO said.
It said the disease is easily transmitted from one person to another, through direct contact or by air through respiratory droplets spread through coughing or sneezing.
