KZN ramps up outreach to reverse falling childhood vaccination rates

The KwaZulu‑Natal Department of Health has launched an outreach campaign to tackle falling childhood vaccination coverage by bringing services directly into communities. The Isibhedlela Kubantu programme is set to begin in eDumbe Local Municipality in the Zululand District on Tuesday, the department said.

Why the drive is needed

KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane warned that the decline in immunisation coverage risks leaving South Africa short of the World Health Organisation’s recommended 90% vaccination coverage needed for strong population-level protection against vaccine‑preventable diseases.

The department reported that first-dose routine immunisation coverage for infants fell from 87% in 2021 to 67% in 2025, and that coverage for the hexavalent (6-in-1) vaccine dropped from 87% to 60.5% over the same period.

Barriers and causes

Simelane said a range of factors is driving the decline, including misinformation, transport challenges and changing household priorities. She also said that “vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination rhetoric grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, compounding pre-existing downward trends in immunisation.”

Simelane added: “Many young parents grew up at a time when dangerous childhood diseases had become relatively rare, which may have reduced their awareness of the risks these diseases still pose to children.”

How the outreach will work

The Isibhedlela Kubantu initiative is designed to reduce barriers such as poverty and transport challenges by bringing healthcare services closer to communities. Simelane said the programme will help ease overcrowding at facilities and enable health workers to provide services more efficiently.

The department said it is deploying outreach teams to early childhood development centres and underserved communities to identify children who have missed vaccinations and ensure they receive the necessary doses. Simelane described a “dedicated multidisciplinary team comprising doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals” that will be deployed through mobile clinics and fully equipped outreach vehicles.

The outreach teams are expected to provide a range of essential healthcare services while assisting parents and caregivers to bring children up to date with routine immunisations. The department emphasised that routine childhood vaccinations remain free of charge at all public healthcare clinics and are available from birth.

Programme aims

The department said the flagship programme aims to address socio-economic inequalities and persistent barriers to accessing healthcare by taking essential services directly to underserved and hard-to-reach communities.