The Fifth Child: Closing the immunization gap in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia

Globally, one in five children does not receive their full course of immunizations, leaving them at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. In Ethiopia, the situation is even worse, with a national average of only 37% coverage for pentavalent 3 (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-Heamophilus influenza type B-hepatitis B) vaccine, where 13% of infants received no vaccines at all. This project and accompanying evaluation particularly focuses on Benishangul Gumuz Regional State (BGRS) where about 41.7% of infants received penta3 vaccination in 2011.