Desctiption:
Right now, we’re in the middle of a major vaccination campaign in the north of Mali to prevent a large-scale health crisis. In this episode of MSF Pulse we look at the challenges we face to vaccinate 10,000 children for 11 potential life-threatening diseases including tuberculosis, measles, yellow fever, meningitis and diphtheria.

Script:
The north of Mali is a conflict zone where the presence of armed groups throughout the region is preventing people from getting urgent medical care.

[In recent years Mali has been badly affected by an increase in conflict and violence. ]

On top of the conflict, there are few paved roads in Mali's deserts, so getting medical care to people in need is very challenging at the best of times.

[AROLL]

What’s more, many communities in the north of Mali are traditionally nomadic.

And Immunization for some diseases requires multiple rounds of vaccination, over many weeks, so reaching patients only once isn't an option.

[These groups are also often most at risk of disease as a result of low vaccination rates. ]

Now add the fact that some vaccines must be kept at a consistent, cold temperature.

[ Some vaccines must be kept between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. ]

And our teams are transporting these in 50-degree Celsius desert heat .

[ Temperatures in Mali's desert can reach close to 50°Celsius ]

Any one of these factors alone would make an immunization campaign difficult and that's why vaccinating children in Mali is such a challenge.

[AROLL]

Despite the many obstacles, since January our vaccination campaign teams have reached 10,000 children under 5-years-old.

[ Two vaccination stages have been completed, with final stage likely to finish at the beginning of May.]

To pull it off; our teams are traveling 60,000 kilometres of desert roads.

[ Our teams are traveling 60,000 kilometres of desert roads. ]

That's the same distance as driving around the entire planet one and a half times, except we're doing it through difficult and dangerous terrain.

[82 nurses, 22 vehicles and 17 motorbikes are needed to reach 10,000 kids]

But all this is worth the effort, to prevent a large-scale health crisis and to save children's lives.

Keywords:
Mali, vaccination campaign, conflict zone, urgent care, no paved roads, nomadic communities, transporting vaccines, immunizing, children, dangerous, preventing crisis