WHO in partnership with USAID has mounted successive COVID-19 vaccination campaigns that have immunized nearly 881,000 people to date in IRG-controlled Southern and Eastern Yemen. But vaccination progress has been continually slowed by misinformed and fear-based community rumors.
Only 10.7% of persons living in the 122 districts of 13 IRG-controlled governorates have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine delivered to Yemen through COVAX (a global initiative aimed at providing equitable public access to COVID-19 vaccines). Through COVAX, the US Government provided the Janssen vaccine to Yemen, which has accounted for 40% of all vaccinations currently. WHO co-directs the COVAX initiative with the GAVI vaccine alliance and other partners.
Since September 2021, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting WHO both to transfer procured vaccines to health facilities, and to engage communities with educational messages about vaccine safety and efficacy at 230 different locations in all governorates and districts of Southern and Eastern Yemen.
USAID has supported WHO with staff training at 13 governorate and 122 district health offices of the central Yemen Supreme Board of Drug and Medicine, for their improved detection, investigation and reporting of events that may follow vaccine administration. USAID has also supported distribution of medical kits to 1,500 hospitals and health centres throughout Yemen, for their rapid management of rare but potentially serious medical events that may follow any vaccination.
Funding from USAID also covered training, supervision and mobilizing of 96 health care staff from central and governorate levels to integrate the Janssen vaccine in the COVID19 service delivery platform.
The Khor Maksar Health Complex in Aden governorate is one of 1,700 facilities in IRG- controlled areas to receive the first available vaccine, Astra Zeneca, in April 2021.
“We are a poor country and our health system is weak, yet the vaccine arrived to us free, through support from international organizations,” said Dr. Munira Awad, director of the Khor Maksar Health Complex in Aden Governorate. “I thank the World Health Organization and USAID for their continuous support to the Yemen health system, which has kept it from collapsing because of the very difficult conditions that we are facing.”
Dr Awad explained that more must be done to promote the availability and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, and to educate communities about the causes of the COVID-19 virus, and how to limit its spread.
“There is not enough understanding about how deadly and contagious COVID is,” she added. “It is necessary to train, equip and mobilize more community health volunteers to give communities the right information. Less than two percent of Yemen’s population is fully vaccinated, although more than 60% of people living in most other countries are now fully vaccinated."
By being vaccinated I know that I am a protecting my family and communities from infection,” said Ahmad Qasem, who received the Janssen vaccine.
Ahmad Qasem, 30, is a multimedia specialist at Khor Maksar who believes that community education is key to dispelling harmful rumors still circulating about the COVID-19 vaccines.
“My field work brings me into contact with a lot of people, and I took the vaccine to protect myself and everyone I meet,” said Mr. Qasem, a multimedia specialist at Khor Maksar. "As most people do not wear masks and do not sanitize their hands, the rest of us must do everything we can to prevent infection. And when many more of us are vaccinated, the risk of transmission is greatly reduced.”
We have received the Janssen and Sinovac vaccines, as well as masks, gloves, and sterilization materials from WHO,” said Dr. Nasser. "Our healthcare workers are very committed, often working extra hours without pay to meet increased demand for vaccinations."
"USAID has been a vital partner to WHO for delivering these vaccines to health facilities, and for training and mobilizing health workers to effectively educate and vaccinate community members,” said Dr. Adham Rashad, WHO Representative to Yemen. “Since this pandemic is still far from over, we must sustain these efforts as an integral part of our continued support to Yemen’s health system.”
Story: Kevin Cook /WHO-Yemen & Paul Conner /Gabreez Productions
Photos: Saleh Hayyan / Gabreez Productions