Zambia

June 7-13, 2003
Children vaccinated: 4,955,647
Deaths averted: 2,796

In December 2003, Zambia's "Expanded Programme on Immunization" (EPI) partners were awarded the "Task Force on Immunisation in Africa 2003 Award" for outstanding performance during the June 2003 Nationwide Measles Campaign. The award was issued by the Honorable Chituwo, the Zambian Minister of Health, and was in recognition of the excellent work of EPI partners and the success of their partnership. The campaign was deemed as exemplary in that it included several children's health interventions that were administered side by side with the measles vaccinations: Vitamin A, mebendazole, and in five districts Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs). The Zambian Ministry of Health termed this type of campaign as the "golden standard" for campaigns, "which should try to maximize the resources available for delivering several interventions addressing child health."

Based on data gathered from the pediatric ward of the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka since the June campaign, measles cases have fallen by 95% and measles related deaths have been reduced by 100%.

Zambia post-campaign coverage survey shows that:

• the measles vaccine was distributed to 96.5 % of the targeted population
• vitamin A was distributed to 94.8% of the population
• mebendezole was distributed to 79.2% of the targeted population
• insecticide treated bednets (ITNs) were distributed to 80.1% of the targeted population. Prior to the campaign, no districts in Zambia had achieved any of the Abuja targets for ITNs. Post-campaign, every target district achieved every goal.

Measles Initiative Heads Into Zambia

Zambia Mass Measles Vaccination Campaign First on Measles Initiative's 2003 Schedule

 Journey to Zambia