Fada n'gourma: The High Commissioner of the Gourma province, Silas Nacanabo, chaired an advocacy meeting in Fada N'Gourma to promote support for the yellow fever vaccination campaign running from September 10 to 16, 2025. The initiative targets residents aged 9 months to 60 years, offering vaccines at both outreach sites like markets and places of worship, and fixed sites such as health facilities.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Boubacar Gila, head of health promotion for the Fada N'Gourma health district, delivered two key presentations during the meeting. The first addressed the technical aspects and general information about yellow fever, an acute hemorrhagic disease preventable by vaccination. The second presentation focused on communication strategies to advocate for the yellow fever vaccine.
Gila highlighted that yellow fever, transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, can cause symptoms like high fever, muscle pain, and headaches, with a case fatality rate ranging from 20% to 80%. He emphasized the necessity of achieving a 95% vaccination coverage to bolster herd immunity and prevent epidemics.
High Commissioner Silas Nacanabo stated that the meeting aimed to disseminate accurate information about the disease and the vaccine to garner widespread support. He remarked on the significance of the government's investment in public health, noting, "A person who dies is a loss for the nation."
The organizers of the campaign see it as a chance to educate recipients about potential vaccine side effects and assure them that appropriate health facilities will manage any adverse reactions.