KENYA / LIBOI DROUGHT MEASLES CAMPAIGN

This week UNICEF, the Kenya Ministry of Health and WHO launched a vaccination campaign for children living in the host communities around Dadaab refugee camp in Northern Kenya. The campaign will target 202,665 children under five, with measles and polio vaccines, together with Vitamin A and de-worming tablets. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:14
• Production Date: 29 July 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: HEALTH SERVICES; DISEASE PREVENTION; DISEASE CONTROL; DISEASES
• Geographic Subject: KENYA
• MAMS Id: U110729e

Description

STORY: KENYA / LIBOI DROUGHT MEASLES CAMPAIGN
TRT: 2:14
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 JULY 2011, LIBOI TOWN, NORTH EASTERN KENYA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, parched earth and leafless trees, dusty drought affected Liboi village, North Eastern Kenya (bordering Somalia)
2. Med shot, children running in the drought-affected village, surrounded by empty bowls
3. Med shot, nurse in charge OF immunizing and de-worming the children
4. Close up, child receiving polio drops
5. Close up, injection being filled with medicine
6. Close up, child crying as he gets an injection
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivia Yambi, Kenya Country Representative, UNICEF:
” We know that in large parts of this area, immunization coverage has been relatively low around 70 percent so at this time of enormous stress, it’s very important to carry out supplementary immunization campaigns”
8. Wide shot, health workers talking to a woman in her house at the Liboi village
9. Close shot, boy’s face
10. Wide shot, measles vaccination team, with the mobile unit talks, to women from the village
11. Med shot, health workers with the mobile vaccination kit
12. Close shot, child’s arm as he gets an injection
13. Close shot, baby’s face as he gets polio drops
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Sheikh, Provincial Director, Ministry of Health, Kenya
“Because of the new influx of people you know who are coming from Somalia, and who are un-immunized, we are fearing that there will be outbreaks of diseases specially polio and measles. And that’s why its important that we conduct this campaign so that we prevent those kind of outbreaks from happening. As we speak, there is already an outbreak of measles in the camps and outside the camps.”
15. Wide shot, health workers walking towards to women with children at her house in the Liboi village, North Eastern Kenya
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammed, District coordinator of the immunization campaign:
“I’m so much committed to this exercise with all my heart and strength to make sure that every child is immunized against polio because I am a victim of polio and I know what a child goes through with polio”
17. Med shot, Mohammed, District coordinator of the immunization campaign and a polio victim, walks towards a mother
18. Med shot, Vaccination team walking in the Liboi village
19. Wide shot, Vaccination team walking through the Liboi village
20. Wide shot, health team and villagers talking
21. Med shot, health worker fills an injection with medicine
22. Med shot, child gets an injection

Storyline

This is the Liboi village on the border between Kenya and Somalia, a land of dust and desperation.

As part of its response to the crisis hitting the Horn of Africa, UNICEF is carrying out a massive immunization campaign across the drought affected areas, where half a million children face death due to starvation.

SOUNDBITE ( English), Olivia Yambi, UNICEF Kenya Country Representative:
” We know that in large parts of this area, immunization coverage has been relatively low around 70 percent so at this time of enormous stress, it’s very important to carry out supplementary immunization campaigns.”

While the most obvious cure to malnutrition is food, it’s not just hunger that can kill.

Undernourished children can fall prey to diseases like polio and measles because of their low immunity.

In the coming few months, UNICEF and its partners aim to reach out to more than 200,000 children under the age of 5 with vaccines, Vitamin A supplements and de-worming tablets in Northern Kenya.

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Sheikh, Provincial Director, Ministry of Health, Kenya:
“Because of the new influx of people you know who are coming from Somalia, and who are un-immunized, we are fearing that there will be outbreaks of diseases specially polio and measles. And that’s why it’s important that we conduct this campaign so that we prevent those kinds of outbreaks from happening. As we speak, there is already an outbreak of measles in the camps and outside the camps.”

Health teams have been going from door to door to vaccinate children.

SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammed, District coordinator of the immunization campaign:
“I’m so much committed to this exercise with all my heart and strength to make sure that every child is immunized against polio because I am a victim of polio and I know what a child goes through with polio”

Mohammad is making sure they don’t miss a single child along the way.

Their work is tough, they have to walk for hours and days in the harsh heat to reach children in remote areas.

But heath workers say giving even one child the strength to survive makes their lives worth living.