Vaccinating a child is an act of love: Combatting measles in DR Congo

Tcheussi leaves Kampene general referral hospital with her 18-month-old son, Kangakolo,after recovering from measles. Tcheussi says that in their village, located 11 miles from the hospital, many children have lost their lives during the measles epidemic, including five from her own extended family.

Supplies for MSF’s vaccination campaign are unpacked in the central office of Kampene health zone, located about 95 miles from Kindu, the provincial capital of Maniema. Transporting medical supplies to Kampene is prohibitively expensive for many health facilities, leaving them unable to respond if measles breaks out.  

Carrying out routine vaccinations in this area of DRC is a challenge. Without a functioning cold chain [a temperature-controlled supply chain] or vaccine carrier, it is difficult to maintain the temperature of 35° to 46° necessary for a vaccine to remain effective. Without routine vaccinations, it is impossible to reach herd immunity. 

"Vaccinating a child is an act of love": This is the message  MSF teams aim to convey while carrying out the vaccination campaign. Some parents are keen to get their children vaccinated, while many others are skeptical and need to be convinced of its value. 

Under a blazing sun, megaphone in hand, MSF health promoters in Kampene raise awareness among parents about the importance and benefits of getting their children vaccinated. They also travel from house to house, taking the time to answer parents' questions and dispel any doubts they may have about vaccination.

Thérèse Selemani brought her 2-year-old daughter to be vaccinated against measles. The child almost died during a previous measles outbreak in a remote part of Maniema province where the nearest health center is 15 miles away. 

"I almost lost her when she was sick,” explains Thérèse. “We walked 15 miles so she could receive treatment. Unfortunately, the health center was overwhelmed and we could not be admitted. When they explained to me the importance of vaccination and the diseases it helps prevent, I understood right away. If this vaccine can help us never again experience the situation when she was sick, I am happy to have her vaccinated.”

Bahati, an MSF mechanic, is in charge of maintaining all the equipment used by MSF teams for the vaccination campaign, including generators, solar energy devices, and motorcycles.

The electrical network is almost nonexistent in Kampene health zone, so generators and solar energy devices are vital for powering the cold chain that keeps the active ingredients of vaccines at the right temperature.

Despite a mass measles vaccination campaign conducted by the national expanded program on immunization last September, the recent outbreak has affected children across Kampene health zone.

"I have always had my children vaccinated but I am surprised to see that, each time [there is an outbreak], one of them suffers from measles,” says Veronica, who brought her three children to be vaccinated against measles. “Recently it was Alowa, the youngest, who fell ill and it cost us a lot of money to get her treated."

An MSF health worker measures a child’s mid-upper arm circumference to screen for malnutrition. During the vaccination campaign in Kampene, MSF carried out systematic malnutrition screenings. Children with malnutrition are especially vulnerable to diseases like measles because of their weakened immune system. 

Children show their vaccination certificates after receiving measles vaccines in Kampene, eastern DRC. For some children, this was the first time they had ever been vaccinated.