Vaccination efforts against COVID-19 are underway in a global effort that is only as strong as its weakest link. Support is going to be urgently required to attain what the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has delineated as “one of the most important mass undertakings in human history.”One of the most important hurdles in reaching the world’s most vulnerable individuals is going to be convincing them that vaccines and individuals providing them are trustworthy. Winning this trust would require a massive, united effort from governments, public health consultants, humanitarian teams, and native community leaders.
This issue of public trust is perhaps the most acute in conflict zones, where individuals have long experienced discrimination, corruption, general social process, and neglect — typically at the hands of their governments.
Nigerians do not trust their government, health system, and lawmakers. When people lose trust in their health authorities and their governments, sound guidance can fall by the wayside. But we can help restore trust in a way that supports both effective vaccine delivery and lasting peace. Lessons from other crises show this.
WHO and governments should also partner with and fund organisations already on the ground, especially those with an established and trusted local presence preceding the pandemic. This needs to involve local civil society, youth, and women’s groups, and business, traditional, and religious leaders, in a meaningful way to both design and implement grassroots campaigns that will build trust between communities and their governments, as well as trust in vaccines.
Racheal Samuel,
Bauchi.
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