Month: April 2018

Vaccination: three women in Nicaragua take a different journey towards a common goal

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April 2018

Video: An act of Love in the land of lakes and volcanoes— Nicaragua

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Karla Bethania Ortiz, 26, from Comarca Bosque de Xiloá, Nicaragua, never understood why she was not vaccinated as a child. Unlike her friends, she did not have a vaccination card. Karla Bethania Ortiz, 26, in her home in Comarca Bosque de Xiloá, Nicaragua WHO/S. Mey-Schmidt
One day when a “brigadista” or community health volunteer was walking near her home, she decided to chase her down and asked to be vaccinated. It happened to be “Jornada de Vacunación” – the day vaccines are provided to all in the community free of change. However, because Karla was…

Unveiling vaccine hesitancy in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Rates of immunization in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are declining. UNICEF/Zmey
Immunization rates in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are as low as 40% in some areas and continuing to decline, increasing the risk of large disease outbreaks. But, no one knows precisely why. Growing vaccine hesitancy, misinformation in social media, lack of trust in the health system, a shortage of health workers and supply issues are all suspected reasons for low coverage rates. However, these are mostly assumptions with little evidence. “Right now our immunization programming is based on a lot of assumptions,” says Dr Sanjin Musa, epidemiologist at the Institute for Public Health in Bosnia and Herzegovina….

From Trauma to Recovery: Addressing Emergency Care in Afghanistan

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Many in Afghanistan lack access to health services due to the conflict in the country. Salim was able to receive treatment at the Emergency Hospital. WHO/T. Hongisto
After fighting broke out in the rural district of Chark-Logar, Salim and his family were forced to flee their home. During the firefight, his brother was killed and Salim was shot in the stomach. It took Salim two hours until he reached a first aid post. In the process, he became separated from his wife and children. Two days later he was transferred to a hospital run by Emergency, an Italian NGO specialized in trauma care. Salim’s story is not unusual in today’s Afghanistan, which is in…