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Last time you were here, you were looking to help vulnerable children and families. Your support can save and change lives.

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Every child deserves to be protected against preventable, life-threatening diseases.

Yet, every year countless children are going without access to the vaccinations they need to have healthy childhoods. It is estimated that 20 million children continue to go without access to life-saving childhood vaccinations each year. This is despite immunisation being one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions in the world saving over three million lives each year.

There has been significant progress across the world in closing the gap on childhood vaccinations; however, for children in the world’s most marginalised communities, vaccinations are still not always available, accessible, or affordable. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the largest sustained backslide in childhood immunisation in 30 years with 67 million children missing out on routine childhood vaccinations. Concurrently, we’ve seen vaccination hesitancy grow throughout the pandemic leading to a decline in public perception on the importance of childhood vaccines in many countries.

This World Immunisation Week, join us in promoting the importance of vaccines to protect people of all ages against life-threatening but preventable diseases, such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and measles. Donate today to support all children living in poverty to access life-saving childhood vaccinations.

A health crisis on Australia’s doorstep

Australia’s closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea (PNG), has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the region. In recent years, the country has seen the re-emergence of previously eradicated diseases such as polio due to critically low vaccination rates and the emergence of vaccine resistant strains of the virus.

Low vaccination rates in PNG are a result of a variety of factors, including:

  • Long distances between rural communities and health centres alongside high transportation costs making it difficult for people living in remote communities to access health facilities.
  • An under-resourced health system, which has led to staff shortages, long wait times and inadequately trained staff.
  • The reliance of remote communities on government-led mobile outreach programs that are often impacted by funding shortfalls, broken vehicles, or low vaccine stocks.


How ChildFund is helping to improve childhood immunisation rates in PNG

When I heard that the ChildFund team were coming to my village, I was excited and immediately rearranged my daily chores so that I could attend the mobile clinic. This was a great opportunity for my family and I to receive medicine, especially for my youngest child, Kila, to get immunised.

Mrs Abadi, a mum of nine living in a remote village in Central Province in PNG


ChildFund’s Mobile Health Clinics have had a profound impact on the ability of people living in remote communities to access much needed healthcare facilities. The clinics provide a one stop shop for a variety of health services, including vaccinations, maternal healthcare, and tuberculosis treatment, enabling people in remote communities to receive the healthcare they need without travelling long distances to nearest health clinic.

Since 2022, ChildFund Papua New Guinea in partnership with the Provincial Health Authorities in Central and Northern Provinces has delivered 16,545 vaccines to children living in remote and rural communities. ChildFund PNG has also trained 257 volunteers on how to provide vaccinations for preventable and treatable diseases like tuberculosis, polio, and COVID-19.

For women like Mrs Abadi, who lives with her nine children and husband in a remote village in Central Province in PNG, ChildFund’s mobile clinics are a lifeline. Previously, she had to travel long distances to the nearest health facility to ensure her family got the healthcare they needed.

“In the past, it was incredibly difficult for me to bring my children to the Kwikila Health Facility due to the poor road conditions and the unaffordable transport fares,”

“When I heard that the ChildFund team were coming to my village, I was excited and immediately rearranged my daily chores so that I could attend the mobile clinic. This was a great opportunity for my family and I to receive medicine, especially for my youngest child, Kila, to get immunised,” Mrs Abadi shared.

Mr Abadi added that the ChildFund team also shared information on different health topics, some of which were new to her and would help her to keep her family safe and healthy.

“I am grateful for the outreach health services that provide immunisations, as I know that this has been instrumental in keeping Kila safe from the sicknesses I hear about in awareness messages from ChildFund,” Mrs Abadi added.

Routine childhood vaccinations play a vital role in ensuring children live healthy, and long lives. Donate today so that more children like Kila can grow up safe and healthy.

Girls need the opportunity to go to school and learn, yet about 130 million girls today are still denied an education.

Twelve-year-old Chenda* (pictured above and below) from Cambodia was in Grade 2 when she learned that her family couldn’t afford to keep her in school.

Her parents went to neighbouring Thailand in search of work, and Chenda went to live with her grandfather.

Instead of going to school, Chenda started to do chores at home instead to pass the time. “I wanted to go to school like other children,” Chenda said. “After doing housework, I had nothing to do. I was unhappy.”

There are millions of girls around the world who face barriers keeping them from school, such as poverty, a lack of hygiene facilities, and sometimes harmful views about gender.

Chenda wanted to stay in school, but her parents couldn’t afford books, uniforms, or transport to get her there and back.

“I wanted to go to school like other children.”

Chenda, 12, Cambodia.

While Chenda’s mum went looking for a job to bring more income to the family, Chenda helped her grandfather at home, missing her opportunity to learn and play at school.

“I helped my grandfather with the housework, cooking and chopping firewood,” Chenda said.

Chenda’s grandfather loves his granddaughter and wants the best for her. He liked Chenda assisting him at home with chores but he knew this wasn’t as important as her returning to school.

Girls who are not in school are more likely to remain in poverty. They are also at a greater risk of sexual exploitation, forced or early marriage, and gender-based violence. The impacts of the pandemic, climate change and economic instability on developing communities has increased the number of girls leaving school early, or not attending at all.

How you can help

ChildFund’s partner on the ground in Cambodia supported Chenda with learning materials and helped her return to school.

“I now have a school bag, pen, writing book, pencil, shoes, and school uniform,” Chenda said. “I was very happy the day my grandfather told me the teacher had asked him to send me back.”

A donation to our girls’ education appeal can help get girls like Chenda get back to school, give local teachers training and support, and help improve classrooms and build school playgrounds and toilets.

PLEASE DONATE NOW

Chenda returned to a better school. “The school had changed,” she said. “There was a playground, a library with many books, a football court, and a bicycle parking space.”

With your help today, more girls like Chenda will get the chance to be excited about their school days – and their futures.

Chenda’s grandfather (pictured below) is proud of Chenda. He has lived in poverty for all his life, and wants things to be different for the next generation. “I worked hard to raise my children on my own, lugging soil and fetching fish,” he said. “I only made enough money just to survive each day. Chenda works extremely hard at school. I don’t want her to be illiterate like I was. I want her to keep learning.”

Chenda shares her aspirations: “When I grow up, I want to be a brave and strong person. I don’t want to ever look down on anyone because everyone is different.”

“Chenda works extremely hard at school,” Chenda’s grandfather said. “I don’t want her to be illiterate like I was. I want her to keep learning.”

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