Displaced Children Receive Immunizations in Yeni Karki
Yeni Karki, a small village in the autonomous republic of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan was established as a home for internally displaced families (IDPs) by the government. Unfortunately, the village lacked consistent health services—the only health worker in the area had to travel from a neighboring community—and children were not regularly immunized.
At the request of villagers, the USAID-supported Adventist Development and Relief Agency launched a primary health care project designed to disseminate accurate, reliable information through trained peer educators.
During a meeting with the Village Health Committee, one mother said: “Gulnara (a peer educator) told me that each child should be immunized 6 times during their first year, however my son has been immunized only once although he is 18 months old.”
As a direct result of the project team’s continuous efforts to work with the Ministry of Health, the dedication of village peer educators, and the increasing requests of mothers of children under five for access to needed immunizations, immunization services were reinstated at the local clinic. Further, the routine health education activities of peer educators have helped IDP mothers become active, articulate advocates for their families’ health rights, including immunization for their children.
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| Peer educators have helped women advocate more effectively for their children’s health needs |
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