By Preethi Murthy, Communications Program Officer MOMENTUM Routine Immunization, Christine Juma, Communications Officer MOMENTUM Routine Immunization South Sudan

During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Sudan, like many other countries, struggled to promote vaccination to an already hesitant community. As a community member from Central Equatoria State noted, “The development and testing of the vaccine for COVID-19 was so quick that I am not sure about its credibility and its effectiveness.”

Rumors that the COVID-19 vaccine caused various physical and mental health conditions were pervasive among community members. Addressing each of these rumors required tailored approaches.

MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity partnered with Core Group Partners Project, Health Pooled Fund, USAID Breakthrough ACTION, UNICEF, AFENET, and the Ministry of Health (MOH) in South Sudan to promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake in seven states, particularly among high-risk populations including older adults, people with underlying medical conditions, mothers, essential workers, and military personnel. MOMENTUM worked closely with its partners to share clear and concise messaging about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination through trusted community leaders.

MOMENTUM staff met with community leaders and activists to debunk myths and misconceptions, including that the vaccine caused infertility, mental health conditions, and other physical and mental ailments. Project staff also trained health workers across the seven project-supported states to ensure they were equipped with the knowledge and interpersonal communication skills to answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines. MOMENTUM then worked with these community leaders and health workers to organize ways to reach community members including community dialogues, focus group discussions (FGDs) and radio talk shows.

To understand more about why certain priority groups for vaccination were hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, MOMENTUM organized a series of FGDs in two states. MOMENTUM staff reached out to mothers as COVID-19 vaccination uptake among this group was hindered by myths that the vaccine causes infertility, abortion, and blood clots. The project also conducted discussions with boda boda (taxi) drivers to understand their hesitations, change their perception about the COVID-19 vaccine, and to act as social mobilizers with the many passengers they transport. A mother who was encouraged to get the vaccine during a focus group said, “My child is now fully vaccinated, and I also got my two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and I am now even ready for the booster dose.” These success stories and intimate discussions were instrumental in building trust within communities.

To expand communication efforts, MOMENTUM convened community dialogue sessions across all the project-supported states that were attended by nearly 2,700 community and religious leaders, women’s group members, politicians, youth leaders, and teachers. Health workers led informational sessions about COVID-19 and vaccination.

A community dialogue participant who was vaccinated after attending the session stated that, “I am the best example for my community. I got vaccinated and I can encourage others to get vaccinated and protect themselves.”

Another challenge to reaching people in South Sudan is the vast geographic size and diverse demographics in the country. But this didn’t stop the project from finding additional ways to amplify the community engagement efforts and reach people beyond in-person meetings. The project helped organize 97 radio talk shows, which featured MOH staff who discussed accurate information about the benefits of the vaccines and booster doses and promoted the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Listeners called in with questions, and the real-time responses provided clear information and increased trust and confidence in vaccines among the 4.5 million people in the seven project-supported states who heard them.

South Sudan’s efforts show how communication that is tailored to its audience can overcome fear and misinformation. During national vaccination campaigns in March, April, and September 2023, over 629,000 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in MOMENTUM-supported states. By using a variety of strategies and engaging with diverse communities, the project helped the country increase vaccination rates, protecting the health of its people. Moving forward, the MOH and other implementing partners will use similar approaches to dispel rumors that hinder routine immunization and catch-up for children who are not up to date on their routine vaccinations.