95% of Zero-Dose Children Vaccinated
Sierra Leone has successfully vaccinated approximately 95 percent of identified "zero-dose" children—those who had never previously received a vaccine—under the Government's ongoing 300 Days Campaign, the Ministry of Health announced.
Since the campaign launched in March, health workers have delivered initial vaccinations to nearly 8,550 of the estimated 9,000 unimmunized children identified across the country. The initiative forms a key pillar of the broader "Triple Zero" agenda, which aims for zero preventable maternal deaths, zero preventable child deaths, and zero unimmunized children.
To achieve the milestone, health teams shifted from facility-based care to targeted community outreach. Utilizing localized data, outreach teams were dispatched directly to underserved and remote areas where logistical and social barriers historically prevented access to routine healthcare.
"We can get to zero, with what we have built and the effort and professionalism our nurses and doctors are putting in," said Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby, commending frontline health workers while calling for sustained momentum.
With five percent of the target population remaining—representing the most geographically and socially isolated children—health authorities are intensifying district-level tracking and community engagement to close the remaining gap and ensure universal coverage.
Comments