Download the VillageReach 2024 Annual Report, “Accelerating Impact for Better Care.”
In the remote Manono health zone of Tanganyika Province, a journey to deliver life-saving vaccines to Busolo Village was abruptly halted when a delivery motorcycle became hopelessly mired in a treacherous swamp. With vaccinations overdue, urgency gripped the delivery team, including VillageReach Technical Specialist, Dr. Stéphane Kapumba. Attempts to extract the motorcycle proved futile, forcing the difficult decision to leave it. They pressed onward on foot. Every moment was critical. The submerged motorcycle, a silent sentinel in the swamp, encapsulated the essence of the mission: overcoming obstacles to reach isolated communities with lifesaving vaccines.
This journey was part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) River Strategy, which targets vaccination campaigns in riverine areas in Tanganyika, Haut-Katanga and Haut-Lomami provinces, where 99% of DRC polio cases are located. These areas are uniquely vulnerable for myriad reasons: geographic isolation, impassable roads during the rainy season, dense forests, populations displaced by insecurity and distrust stemming from negative vaccination experiences. These communities are on the margins. But VillageReach has experience.
VillageReach’s strong track record of supporting the DRC Ministry of Health to deliver vaccination programs made the organization well-positioned to tackle these challenges. The Next Generation Supply Chain program, launched in 2020, supercharged vaccine delivery in the lowest-performing areas before expanding to half of the country’s provinces. Now, all the 13 provinces supported are within the top 15 provinces for vaccine availability across the country. However, pockets of vulnerability persist, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach communities. That is where the River Strategy comes in: if we can strengthen primary health care systems to reliably reach these populations, we can reach everyone, so no one is left behind.
In one village, accessible only by a combination of boat, motorbike and arduous trekking, the challenges were palpable to Stéphane. One nurse serves the entire catchment area, mainly in a faraway health facility. But that day, it was different. VillageReach and its partners deployed special vaccination teams to conduct intensified activities, with four vaccination rounds per month in each targeted zone. These teams, often facing treacherous conditions, use innovative solutions like portable solar refrigerators and convenient evening vaccination drives.
The Strategy goes beyond simply delivering vaccines. It’s about building trust. Village chiefs and community health workers play a crucial role, educating and encouraging their communities to embrace vaccination. Data collection, often hampered by limited connectivity, is prioritized, with teams using GPS tracking and geolocated vaccination forms to monitor progress. One villager, echoing the sentiment of many, told Stéphane, “Before, we had to walk for hours to reach the health center. Now the vaccines are coming to us. This changes everything for our children.” This simple statement highlights the transformative power of bringing services directly to remote communities.
In 2024, polio vaccines were administered to 19,918 previously unvaccinated children across Tanganyika and Haut-Katanga provinces. Behind each of those numbers is a child, a family and a community offered a chance at a healthier future. It’s a story of resilience, partnership and an unwavering commitment to reach every child, no matter how challenging the journey.