The vaccination campaign in Congo officially began on 19 April. One month later, only 20,000 doses had been administered to a population of over 90 million. We spoke to our partners at Étoile du Sud in Congo about the campaign’s difficult start and the role of social movements.
How is the vaccination campaign going in Congo?
Erick Kambale, Chair of the Board of Directors at Étoile du Sud: «On 10 March, the Ministry of Health announced the vaccination campaign but postponed it by a few days until April. Public sentiment regarding the campaign is mixed. There are doubts about whether the disease is actually present in the Congo and about the need to get vaccinated. Even amongst our health campaigners, who are helping to inform the public, some are also questioning this, despite their role being to inform and raise awareness amongst people.»
«People are asking questions because the Ministry of Health is not providing clear information about the vaccine’s composition,» explains Dr Jean Bosco Bongo. «This is fuelling mistrust. For us in the health sector too, this information is vital so that we can inform people properly and convince them to get vaccinated. Training is needed on how the authorities will manage the campaign, and on how we should use and administer the various vaccines. Only then will we be able to go door-to-door to inform the public. The campaign, originally scheduled for March, was postponed following reports of side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine. The government wanted to gather further data but did not explain this sufficiently to the public.»
«From the very start of the pandemic, people were sceptical about the disease due to a lack of information about the virus,» according to Mamie Meta, head of gender projects in Haut-Katanga province. «In our work, we hear a lot of speculation and rumours, such as the idea that it is a disease affecting only white people and the wealthy. That is why we emphasise raising awareness of social distancing and hygiene measures. There are also doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccines, particularly given the numerous mutations of the virus.»
«Some healthcare professionals are also sceptical and give credence to rumours, or openly say that they will not get vaccinated,» says Jean Bosco Bongo. «This is a major risk. Working in the healthcare sector without being vaccinated can lead to widespread infection. And, as well as being in the healthcare sector, we are also parents or carers for other people. Those who need to convince others must first be convinced themselves. Furthermore, our staff need more protective equipment and financial recognition for their efforts, as has been the case in the West.»
What role does Étoile du Sud play in the vaccination campaign?
«Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, our priority has been to raise awareness,» says Sylvie Luzala, chair of the national board of Étoile du Sud. «Even before we’d received any instructions from the government or the World Health Organisation, we went door-to-door to inform people about the importance of hygiene and social distancing rules. We sent health campaigners into working-class neighbourhoods, including those where people have no access to the radio, television or print media and are unaware of the information provided by the government. We are continuing to do the same to explain to the public that the vaccine is the best solution to overcoming this pandemic.»
«Together with our healthcare activists, we are close to the local community,» says Jean Bosco Bongo. «We also have a mobile clinic. Thanks to these facilities, we can inform the public about the importance of the vaccine. During previous pandemics, we were just as sceptical, and we saw the consequences. Today, the virus is spreading at breakneck speed across the globe. That is why we must get vaccinated to protect ourselves and those around us, and to stop the virus from spreading.»
«Through our community health committees, we want to provide people with accurate information to make them aware of the importance of vaccination» – Mamie Meta, head of gender projects in Haut-Katanga province
Social media spreads a great deal of inaccurate information. Mamie Meta: «Through our community health committees, we want to provide people with accurate information to make them aware of the importance of vaccination. This requires a great deal of effort and additional resources, particularly to reach the most remote villages and population groups. We have found that many people in these areas were not even aware of the virus.»
Even today, Étoile du Sud does not wait for instructions from above to encourage people to get vaccinated. Erick Kambale: «Our message is that the vaccine must be available to everyone in the Congo. Because an unvaccinated person can continue to infect many others, particularly as the virus mutates. That is the message we are trying to get across without actually talking about the vaccine itself, because we face credibility issues due to a lack of official scientific information. We are therefore focusing on the importance of the vaccine and the fact that it should be accessible to everyone.»
For a population of over 90 million, only 1.7 million doses are available, according to the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, the Congolese government has decided to distribute the 1.3 million doses of AstraZeneca it received through the COVAX initiative to other African countries, due to reported side effects and mistrust amongst the population.
Erick Kambale: «The small number of doses available is discouraging people even further. Who will receive the vaccine and who won’t? We need even more health campaigners to raise awareness on a wider scale. We need time. Even if the minister were to issue guidelines for Covid-19 vaccination today, they would only be useful if the public actually gets vaccinated. But at present, there are no government initiatives to raise awareness on a large scale. And it is precisely to meet this challenge that we want to train and mentor even more health campaigners, equipping them properly so they can get out into the community.»
