While Namibia's nationwide measles, rubella and polio vaccination campaign seeks to reach children across the country, getting information to families in rural communities remains important.

At Muyako Clinic in the Zambezi region, the campaign is receiving an encouraging response from parents and caregivers, following intensified efforts by health workers to raise awareness in the community.

Although the clinic initially experienced a low turnout with 59 measles-rubella vaccinations and 28 Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) doses administered on the first day, outreach efforts, including visits to the local school, have helped improve attendance.

"Yesterday, when I came to the hospital, that is when I heard about the vaccination. I was informed that the vaccination is important, as it helps prevent my children from contracting polio," expressed Muyako resident Brenda Mayumelo.

"I brought my children for vaccination because once the campaign ends, we need to ensure that all our children are vaccinated, protecting them from measles and polio because these diseases can severely affect children," said another Muyako resident Manga Sinvula. 

Despite some resistance from parents who question the need for vaccination, a nurse at the Muyako clinic, Kasani Sezuni, says she finds relatable ways to explain its importance.

"You look at something that is already in the community, something that they already know, so when we are looking at our kids like when we were at the school, we were trying to educate them to say, 'Your kids are like a herd of cattle, so being a herd of cattle, how do we keep our cattle safe?' We usually take them to be vaccinated for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), so it is the same with our kids. As we are bringing in our vaccines, we are protecting those kids so that in the event that one of the kids might catch it and they come here at the school, they come and find that most of our kids are vaccinated, which means that the virus is just going to stop there; it is not going to go further."