Zoundweogo: The Burkina Faso Red Cross organized a community dialogue on vaccination and rumor management at the Koupeloghin Health and Social Promotion Center (CSPS). The objective of this meeting was to strengthen the trust of the population and community leaders regarding vaccination campaigns.

According to Burkina Information Agency, this meeting was organized by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) with financial support from Africa CDC, as part of the "Saving Lives Through Substances" project. It brought together nearly twenty participants, including community leaders, women's and youth organizations, and health workers.

The meeting provided an opportunity to highlight the vaccination schedule for children from 0 to 15 months and the importance of the tetanus vaccine administered to pregnant women. Aimee Roland Sawadogo, a nurse and head of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in the Manga health district, explained that with the introduction of new vaccines, the vaccination schedule has changed. This change has made it difficult for mothers to adhere to the various vaccination intervals, prompting her to urge greater participation in vaccination initiatives.

The EPI coordinator also requested support from parents, fathers, and caregivers to ensure proper monitoring of infants throughout the vaccination period. The organizers emphasized that the meeting aimed to improve community health by strengthening the capacity of stakeholders, providing strategic support to institutions, and promoting disease prevention through vaccination.

The president of the Zoundweogo local Red Cross committee, Rose Marie Yameogo, welcomed the initiative. She encouraged women to participate massively in vaccination campaigns. "Vaccination is very important. Every time the volunteers go out for distribution, we see a real enthusiasm," she stated.

The village chief of Koupeloghin expressed his support for the initiative, stating that the meeting helped him understand the importance of vaccination for infants. "From this moment on, we express our full support for the vaccination campaigns. We will also be information relays to those who did not participate in the meeting," he assured.