Field Officer – Zero-Dose Children Immunization Support, Western Regions 1 & 2

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the Organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give more children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Immunization saves lives and is a key priority in The Gambia’s child health programme. While national vaccination coverage is usually high, some children are still being missed. An estimated 14,000 children are classified as “zero-dose,” meaning they have not received even one routine vaccine. These children are concentrated in Western region one and two, border communities, and vulnerable households, where health systems face access, equity, and data challenges.
will be deployed to Western 1 & 2 health region. Volunteers will be engaged in activities for the reduction of Zero dose[FB1.1] children. They will be deployed to health facilities in the regions based on many factors including: the number of zero dose children in the facility catchment area, the facility dropout rate and area coverage etc. Volunteers will support health workers during outreach and fixed-site immunization sessions, conduct home visits and participate in community engagement activities.

Roles of Volunteers:

• Conduct home visits to encourage caregivers to take their children for immunization.

• Support health workers during outreach and fixed-site immunization sessions.

• Collect reliable, real-time data on vaccination coverage, bottlenecks, and challenges.

• Mobilize families, caregivers, and community leaders to increase demand for vaccines.

• Follow up and identify zero-dose children to ensure they are vaccinated.

• Strengthen the link between health facilities and households to ensure every child, including the most marginalized, is reached.

• Participate in other vaccination activities, including social and behavioral change communication.

• Training: Volunteers will undergo training on immunization basics, interpersonal communication, community mobilization, and data collection tools. Training will be conducted jointly by the Ministry of Health, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and partners, with United Nations Volunteers (UNV) providing administrative support.

• Data Management: Volunteers will work with health facility staff and use the same standardized registers and/or digital tools to collect data and report to the desk officer.