Colombia: Approved US$24.77 million for Operation Child's Health

The Andean Development Corporation (CAF) approved a US$24.77-million loan for the Republic of Colombia to partially finance the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI) for the 2005-2008 period. The executing agency will be the Ministry of Social Protection.

The total cost of the program is US$133.74 million, of which CAF will finance US$24.77 million (18.53%), the IDB US$107 million (80%) and the Colombian State the difference of US$1.97 million (1.47%). This contribution will increase the equity, timeliness and operating capacity of the Program, maintaining high levels of basic vaccination coverage, as well as prevention of measles and influenza over the next four years.

CAF President & CEO Enrique García explained that the health area is one of the action axes of the CAF Vice Presidency of Social and Environmental Development. Investment in health has the virtue of reducing poverty, social exclusion and the vulnerability of the less favored segments of the population, he added. However, the region’s health systems suffer from a bias toward treatment rather than prevention, and are concentrated in urban areas. For this reason, CAF decided to contribute to PAI as a strategy for combating disease and reducing infant mortality and morbidity.

García said that the program aimed to increase social equity by expanding vaccination coverage in Colombia, especially in the poorest municipalities with lowest performance in PAI. In addition to guaranteeing a sufficient and timely supply of biologicals for the country, the Program includes technical assistance and communication activities that recognize the cultural diversity and the different stages of development and needs of Colombian municipalities.

In the 2005-2008 period, the program will cover about 3,600,000 children aged under one year with the basic scheme of full vaccination, as well as the cohort of children aged five and under. Also during the period, about 2,300,000 post-natal women will be vaccinated against measles, and about 1,500,000 children and 650,000 elderly adults against influenza.

PAI will cover all regions of the country, benefiting the entire population, especially children under five, breastfeeding infants, women of child-bearing age, with emphasis on breastfeeding infants in municipalities with risk of neonatal tetanus (about 400) and for the susceptible population in risk areas, including yellow fever.

Health care and protection for the population is one of the primary responsibilities of States. In the case of Colombia, the National Development Plan 2002-2006 established the Expanded Immunization Program which is a campaign to vaccinate the infant and adult population as a basic public health strategy.