Amref Health Africa and AstraZeneca in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Kenya have launched a fleet of Mobile Vaccination Clinics (MVCs) in an effort to protect last-mile communities from the pandemic.
The ten movable clinics will bring COVID-19 vaccines and other health services to hard-to-reach communities across Kenya. In a press release today by AMREF, the initiative will help increase vaccine access and uptake in Kenya.
As of June 17, 2022, 31.4 percent of the adult population in Kenya is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while Africa’s average vaccination rate is 17.7 percent lagging behind other world regions.
According to AMREF, each mobile clinic aims to vaccinate 70 to 100 people per day reaching up to 1,000 people per day once all 10 mobile clinics are fully operational.
Dr Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO Amref Health Africa, said: “It is evident that health emergencies are here to stay, and thinking out of the box through innovations in health may be our only chance at timely response if, and when emergencies occur.”
He noted that addressing other health determinants such as non-communicable diseases that influence how health emergencies affect us is critical to avert the negative impact that health emergencies such as COVID-19 have on communities.
“The movable clinics are, therefore, a great addition to the toolkit that will ensure equity in access to last-mile communities with much-needed vaccination and essential health services”, Dr Gitahi said
Together with partners, the government and also AstraZeneca, and other stakeholders in the private and public sectors, the CEO said they remain committed to sustaining the momentum towards vaccinating 70 percent of the eligible population through this innovative solution.
Ultimately, Dr Githinji noted that the clinics will add to the health system infrastructure, further improving preparedness for health emergencies in the country.
Dr Pelin Incesu, Area Vice President, AstraZeneca for the Middle East and Africa said they were thrilled to launch the innovative partnership with the Ministry of Health and Amref Health Africa to ensure that no Kenyan is left behind in their efforts to protect lives from COVID-19 and other life-threatening diseases.
“This is part of AstraZeneca’s ongoing commitment to a patient-centric response to the pandemic. To date, over three billion doses of our COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered across the globe, helping to save an estimated 3.6 million lives,” Dr Incesu said
The mobile clinics will help to bridge the COVID-19 vaccine gap by providing vaccine education, COVID-19 screening, safe and accessible vaccination, and post-immunisation care.
As Kenya integrates vaccination services into primary health care, the clinics will integrate health promotion to raise awareness of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and provide NCD health service continuity, specifically targeting people living with diabetes and hypertension.
When not conducting community outreach, the clinics will support existing public health infrastructure by serving as fixed clinics, thereby reducing the burden on local health facilities.
By Wangari Ndirangu
