Eritrea’s pronounced health policy, which is anchored on preventive and curative approaches, includes consistent and nation-wide implementation of a variety of vital vaccination programmes.
Indeed, while the country’s considerable achievements and progress in the health sector are the result of a combination of various factors, one of the most important elements has been the effective national vaccination program. Although related, vaccination and immunization are different, with one representing an action and the other being an effect. To be more precise, vaccination involves introducing a vaccine into the body to stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose. On the other hand, immunization is the process by which a person becomes protected – or in other words, immune or resistant – against a disease through vaccination. In Eritrea, children receive an array of vaccines that help to provide protection and ensure health. Due to space constraints, the following paragraphs provide only a brief overview of some of the vaccines administered. Overall, Eritrea’s vaccination coverage rates are not only the highest in the region, they also compare favorably with continental and global averages.
Shortly after birth, infants in Eritrea receive the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. BCG is currently one of the most widely used vaccines in the world and is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. Developed during the early 1900s by French bacteriologists Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin, BCG helps to protect against tuberculosis. Eritrea’s BCG coverage is 97%, whereas the average for Africa is 87% and the world is 88%.
Another vaccine administered to young children in Eritrea is the DTP3 vaccine, which is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Diphtheria, a serious bacterial infection, can impact the respiratory tract, skin, and nervous system, potentially leading to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and even death. Tetanus is a serious disease caused by a bacterial toxin that affects the nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions, particularly of the jaw and neck muscles (hence why it is sometimes also called “lockjaw”). Tetanus can interfere with breathing and threaten life. Finally, pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Also known as “whooping cough”, pertussis can result in uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it extremely difficult to breathe. While pertussis can affect people of all ages, it can be serious, potentially fatal, for young children.
Notably, DTP3 coverage is regarded as a standard measure of the strength of national health systems, mainly because delivery requires three contacts with the health system at appropriate times and also because coverage is usually part of routine national vaccination programs rather than campaigns. Eritrea’s DTP3 coverage is 95%, well ahead of the African and global averages, which are 81% and 85%, respectively.
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis. Since it lacks a cure, vaccination is particularly important. Young children typically receive polio vaccinations, with a child considered adequately immunized after three doses. Eritrea’s Pol3 coverage is 95%, while the African average is 81% and the world average is 86%.
Finally, Eritrean children also receive the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine, among the most studied in the world and which usually creates long-term immunity, is administered as a series of 3 shots (typically shortly after birth, at about 1-2 months of age, and then again at around 6-18 months of age). The hepatitis B virus affects the liver and can cause mild illness with fever, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice that can last up to several weeks. It can also cause a lifelong infection. Eritrea’s coverage for HepB3 is 95%, which surpasses the African average (81%) and the world average (85%).
While there is still work to be done in order to achieve the 2030 target for child mortality, Eritrea is on the right track. Moving forward, the country’s national vaccination program will continue to play a key role in protecting children and ensuring their health.
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