10 Jun 2011

MADAGASCAR / IMMUNIZATION

World leaders are in London this week for the GAVI Alliance pledging conference, UNICEF is calling on donors to fund a global immunization effort to save millions of children’s lives by 2015. In Madagascar, a two-year political and economic crisis is putting severe pressure on the country’s ability to maintain its success in decreasing its child mortality rate by 60 percent. UNICEF

Posted at: June 10, 2011 12:36 pm

Duration: 03:26

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: MADAGASCAR / VACCINATION
TRT: 3.26
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / MALAGASY / ENGLISH / NATS
 
DATELINE: 16-20 MAY 2011, MADAGASCAR
 
SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, women selling goods
2. Close up, woman buying goods
3. Wide shot, paramedic walking out of clinic collecting vaccinations
4. Med shot, paramedic walking out of clinic collecting vaccinations
5. Wide shot, women and children waiting in line
6. Close up, women and children waiting in line
7. Med shot, Paramedic at desk
8. Close up, vaccinations cards on desk
9. Close up, vaccinating of baby
10. Med, paramedic washing hands
11. Wide shot, paramedic checking pregnant woman
12. SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Hantamalala Ramanandraibe, Paramedic:
"As it is market day today everyone comes to the clinic today. The area has a lot of bandits so people prefer to come in numbers and go to the market at the same time. So today I am going to do consultations, family planning vaccinations all at the same time."
13. Close up, man fixing road
14. Wide shot, man fixing road with women walking past
15. Med shot, malnourished child
16. Wide shot, women feeding baby
17. Close up, women feeding baby
18. Med shot, nurse extracting vaccination
19. Close up, nurse extracting vaccination
20. SOUNDBITE (French) Marie Therese Baranyikwa, UNICEF Immunization Specialist: 
"Vaccination can reduce the risk of mortality by 25 per cent in a child who is fully vaccinated.
21. Wide shot of women sitting and waiting at clinic
22. Close up, vaccination booklet
23. Extreme close up, vaccination booklet
24. SOUNDBITE (French) Marie Therese Baranyikwa, UNICEF Immunization Specialist: 
"Now if we don't manage to sustain the rate of coverage we're in danger of seeing the childhood mortality rate go up again."
25. Various shots, children on road.
26. Various shots, nurse placing vaccines in refrigerator
27. Wide shot, car crossing bridge into village
28. Wide shot, home
29. Various shots, nurse vaccinating child
30. SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Harris, GAVI Media and Communications Manager:   
"I think it's a reality, we're trying to work with those countries which have an average annual income of under 1000 USD a year. It's a reality that we're not supporting the easiest, those countries with the easiest conditions. That's a reality and we've certainly got a lot…the way that our programs are designed to try and overcome some of these obstacles."
31. Various shots, nurse hands vaccine booklet to mother
32. Med shot, child receiving vaccination in drops

STORYLINE:
 
It's market day here in Ankariera in Southern Madagascar.

That means an extra busy day for Hantamalala Ramanandraibe, a paramedic at the health centre just next to the market.

As the only health worker at the centre, which services an estimated 4600 people she's had to learn to multitask and does everything from vaccinations to delivering babies.

And she works under extremely difficult conditions.

There is no running water or electricity at the clinic.

SOUNDBITE (Malagasy) Hantamalala Ramanandraibe, Paramedic:
"As it is market day today everyone comes to the clinic today. The area has a lot of bandits so people prefer to come in numbers and go to the market at the same time. So today I am going to do consultations, family planning vaccinations all at the same time."

Bandits or highwaymen are just one of the dangers women and children in this area face.

The others are more silent, deadly killers; disease and malnutrition.

Over the last two decades, Madagascar has successfully decreased its child mortality rate by 60 percent.
Vaccinations were key in achieving this through the country's Expanded Program on Immunization.

SOUNDBITE (French) Marie Therese Baranyikwa, UNICEF Immunization Specialist: 
"Vaccination can reduce the risk of mortality by 25 per cent in a child who is fully vaccinated. Now if we don't manage to sustain the rate of coverage we're in danger of seeing the childhood mortality rate go up again."

A two year political and economic crisis is putting severe pressure on Madagascar's ability to maintain these gains.

Evidence of this is seen in the drop of government spending on healthcare which in 2010 was at a decade low at just $2 a person.

In the south, the situation has been aggravated by a chronic drought and a nutrition crisis.

But through funding and technical support UNICEF, GAVI (the global alliance for vaccinations and immunizations) and other partners are working hard to make sure basic health care services like vaccinations continue.

An effective cold chain system is key to getting the vaccines to the people who need it most in the hardest to reach places like Ankariera where there are few tarred roads.

Then there is the challenge of keeping the vaccines at the right temperature all the way from the capital city to the rural clinics.

And it's here where Hantamalala, one of around 150 paramedics supported by UNICEF, will administer the drugs.

GAVI, a global partnership that finances new vaccines for the world's poorest nations means countries like Madagascar are able to access these life-saving drugs.

SOUNDBITE (English) Ed Harris, GAVI Media and Communications Manager:   
"I think it's a reality, we're trying to work with those countries which have an average annual income of under 1,000 $ a year. It's a reality that we're not supporting the easiest, those countries with the easiest conditions. That's a reality."

So while the logistics of managing the distribution of vaccines in a country like Madagascar can sometimes be painful; there is no doubt that the investment of this small life-saving intervention today will ensure a return of healthier life tomorrow.