EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES FOR INFORMED HEALTH CHOICES: POLIO VACCINATION AWARENESS IN KICUKIRO DISTRICT

Traveling along the serpentine roads of Kicukiro district one of the districts within the City of Kigali, reveals picturesque landscapes of rolling hills and steep valleys.

Villages such as Kagugu, and Kigarama-Bwerankoli-Nyenyeli witnessed hesitancy among Rwandans during the first round of polio vaccination in July 2023. 

The reluctance stemmed from limited information about the oral polio vaccine and misconceptions perpetuated by religious influencers during the nationwide campaign.

Recognizing this challenge, District Health Officer Ms Emerance Ufitinema initiated a five-day awareness campaign, hoping to address the hesitancy prevalent among residents of the Gikondo sector in Kicukiro District regarding polio vaccination.

She employed interpersonal communication skills and an unconventional, community-centered approach to deliver accurate educative messages about novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2. She shared, 

"I wanted our residents to have the right information to make informed decisions about their children's health."

Residents of Gikondo Sector responded positively to the campaign. Shamim Uwitonze, a resident with young twins reflected on her and her peers’ participation in the sessions saying, 

"I saw that health-seeking behavior is motivated by different things, from personal experiences to a sense of communal purpose."

In Gikondo, residents value interpersonal communication channels, favoring small group settings where accurate awareness messages are relayed through one-on-one interactions. Shamim Uwitonze, after one such awareness session, emphasized the importance of heart-to-heart communication before consenting to vaccinate her children. She reflected, 

“The personal touch in these discussions influences our decision-making regarding our children's health."

Fulgence Kamali, a health promotion specialist at Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), confirms that efforts are underway to promote routine vaccination in Rwanda through outreach initiatives at health facilities such as district hospitals, health centers, health posts, and other fixed sites in hard-to-reach areas.

These initiatives aim to ensure every Rwandan child receives the novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 from 0-7 years of age, thereby preventing death from preventable diseases.

Amidst the emphasis on preventive health promotion, UN expresses gratitude for the contributions of Rwanda’s MOH, RBC, community health workers, and all other health personnel involved in the oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 campaign.

What I feel after these awareness sessions is that you must let your heart speak to other hearts. The empathetic and personal approach helped us accept to vaccinate our children because it helps us better understand the benefits of vaccines; having such reliable information is crucial for parents to make informed decisions

Emerance Gatera Ufitinema, the Kicukiro health promotion officer, emphasized the need for behaviour change among Rwandan parents. She urged for a shift towards a mindset focused on health-seeking and disease prevention rather than solely relying on treatment after uninformed health decisions. 

Ufitinema’s drive for better health decisions stems from her love for children. 

"I advocate for the sustainable development of health for children through awareness measures because they are the seeds of our future," she said with a smile on her face.