Some 28,000 people in the economically depressed Khasavyurt district of Dagestan, 80% of whom are children, will be immunised after World Vision's first delivery of vaccines and immunisation equipment to the Ministry of Health of Dagestan

In July this year World Vision made vaccines available for thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ingushetia through the World Vision Canada Gift Catalogue, and now Dagestan which borders Chechnya to the west and still hosts people displaced from the Chechen conflict, is receiving approximately US$200,600 worth of vaccines and equipment made available through the same programme.

Khasavyurt district has a high birth rate, and the influx of displaced persons has put a significant strain on local host communities. The region is plagued by violent upsurges, chronic poverty and unemployment. Many infectious diseases, one of them being Tuberculosis, are endemic, but lack of funds, including special funds for epidemic outbreaks prevents the district administration from carrying out effective and timely routine immunisation programmes.

World Vision donated a vaccine stock to the district health structures, which will now protect families and children from infectious, often fatal illnesses, such as Tuberculosis, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Meningitis and Dysentery. This contribution came just days ahead of the new school year and will enable children to be immunised.

'The vaccines will enable health practitioners to go beyond symptomatological treatment of infectious diseases and will instead prevent disease outbreaks', noted Fatima Baskhanova, Chief Epidemiologist of Khasavyurt District speaking at the official handing over ceremony at the main district first aid centre.

Khasavyurt region is large and consists mostly of villages situated at a considerable distance from one another. Many of them lack medical facilities and qualified staff and health structures have been storing vaccines in ordinary household fridges for years.

World Vision donated 40 vaccine refrigerators, as well as cooler boxes, vaccine carriers, disposal containers and vaccine-related medical supplies like disposable syringes. Vehicles rushed to Khasavyurt from faraway health stations in the district to collect the refrigerators assigned to them.

The Deputy Head of Khasavyurt District local administration, Wakhit Khasimov, responsible for health issues, said that World Vision's donation of additional equipment would go a long way in helping the district to achieve its goal in immunisation coverage.

'Khasavyrt medical staff will remember this gesture for ever and now it is our task to maintain the equipment and to be self-sufficient', commented Mr. Khasimov.

In 2007, World Vision implemented a successful, USAID-funded business development program in Khasavyurt District of Daghestan and currently operates two mobile medical teams that provide basic healthcare to Chechen displaced and vulnerable residents in 15 villages of the same district. Still for Daghestan, the road to sustainable development remains long.

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