UNICEF launches new anti-tetanus campaign

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Malian ministry of health has begun a new vaccination campaign against maternal and neonatal tetanus for women in Mali. It targets some 118,000 women aged 14-45 years in the districts of Bla, east of Bamako, and Bougouni, south of the Malian capital. UNICEF said the campaign, begun on Friday, is to be replicated later in other districts and countries. It differs from past campaigns in that it involves the use of BD Uniject. This is a new vaccination device that uses a syringe pre-filled with a single dose of tetanus toxoid and can be administered by "lay people", UNICEF said. Its advantages are that being pre-filled, it is easier to carry. Since it can be used by lay people it is different from the traditional vaccines that could only be administered by trained health workers. According to UNICEF, members of a community with little training can administer the vaccine to needy women and newborns, thus saving thousands of lives per year. The new vaccine, with its single-use needle and syringe, also reduces the chances of transmitting blood-borne viruses or ailments such as HIV and Hepatitis, UNICEF said. Neonatal tetanus is a deadly disease which often affects populations with little or no access to basic health care services. Infection usually occurs during delivery, when tetanus germs get into the umbilical cord as it is being cut or dressed. According to UNICEF, the disease kills 200,000 infants each year while 30,000 mothers succomb to maternal tetanus. The campaign is within the framework of the Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Initiative, which is supported by various governments and foundations. The disease cannot be eradicated because the tetanus virus can survive outside the human body and can be transmitted without any human contact, UNICEF said. [UNICEF’s full statement]