1 May 2017

UNICEF gives vehicles to help Vanuatu vaccinations

12:53 pm on 1 May 2017

UNICEF is providing four vehicles to the Vanuatu Ministry of Health to support health workers in their efforts to keep infants safe from vaccine-preventable diseases.

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Photo: AFP

The vehicles were presented as part of World Immunisation Week that finished on Sunday.

UNICEF's Pacific representative Sheldon Yett said health workers need reliable transport to the communities which depend on them.

Mr Yett said there were many challenges that contributed to high dropout rates in Vanuatu that result in children failing to receive all of their scheduled vaccines.

He said one of these was transport.

Mr Yett believes by facilitating greater access to communities by nurses undertaking immunisation programmes, the Ministry of Health will be better able to achieve full vaccination coverage.

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