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HARARE, Zimbabwe, 8 June 2010 -- Early one recent morning at Rutsanana Clinic in Glen Norah, Harare, hundreds of women were eagerly waiting outside the clinic to have their babies immunized.

"It was the sight of these women and children that made me realize and appreciate the full scale of the immunization campaign," said UNICEF Zimbabwe Senior Budget Assistant Josphen Mugabe, who spent the day in Harare's high-density suburbs of Glen Norah and Highfields to monitor and evaluate Zimbabwe's recent measles vaccination drive.

It is rare for UNICEF financial and administrative staff to monitor field activities directly. However, this was a unique scenario designed to support the nation-wide campaign, which targeted 5 million children between the ages of 6 months and 15 years.

Initial data suggest that the campaign has been highly successful in reaching its target groups. And the positive response by communities has created an opening for Zimbabwe to revamp its routine immunization programme.

The Government of Zimbabwe, supported by the non-governmental organization Helen Keller International, the World Health Organization and UNICEF, began the massive campaign to protect children against measles following a recent outbreak of the disease in the country.

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