Together for health, standing with science: Reaching children in remote areas of Zamboanga del Norte with life-saving vaccines

In the farthest coastal villages and mountain communities of Zamboanga del Norte in the southern Philippines, access is never simple. Roads are long, terrain is rugged, and for many families, getting to the closest health clinic can be very challenging.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world. In 2025, the Philippines saw more than 5,000 measles cases. In response, the Government planned ‘Ligtas Tigdas’, a measles-rubella supplementary immunization activity, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners, to ensure children across the country are protected.

Where geography, access, and community dynamics shape the uptake of services and health outcomes, solutions need to go beyond a single approach. Therefore, the local government in Zamboanga del Norte and the Department of Health (DOH), supported by WHO, had to rethink how to reach every child with life-saving vaccines, by bringing services to a series of temporary fixed sites embedded in communities.

^{Health workers bring measles-rubella vaccines to the community as part of a supplementary immunization activity in February 2026. This temporary fixed session in the field ensured vaccine quality through active supervision and on-site mentoring, with a focus on cold chain integrity and safe administration for every child | Photo Credit: C. Vidallo, Zamboanga del Norte PHO}

Previously, vaccination activities in the area relied heavily upon door-to-door visits. Under the new approach, health workers in Zamboanga del Norte, with support from DOH and WHO, established fixed temp. rary vaccination sites in every purok and cluster to ensure the maximum number of children were protected. From shoreline communities to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA), these sites became more than service points—they became spaces of trust. They also reflected a broader reality: that protecting health in these settings depends on how people, place, and systems work together.

For immunization specialist and WHO consultant, Dr Namrata Bhatta, the shift was both operational and deeply personal.

“We had to move away from the comfort of door-to-door visits,” she shared. “It meant asking communities to meet us halfway, but also making sure services were truly accessible, visible, and trusted.”

The theme of World Health Day, marked on 7 April 2026, is “Together for Health. Stand with Science.” Through the campaign, WHO icalls on communities, governments and partners to advance science-led innovations that improve health outcomes. Immunization is a powerful, evidence-based health innovation that has saved millions of lives. The best means of protecting every child with this innovation has to be grounded by a strong understanding of communities’ needs and preferences, using behavioural science.

The WHO BeSD (Behavioural and Social Drivers) Framework helps to understand what drives vaccine uptake, focusing on four domains: thinking and feeling (perceptions about disease risk and vaccine confidence), social processes (social norms, health worker recommendations, and gender equity), motivation (intention to get recommended vaccines), and practical issues (availability, affordability, ease of access, service quality and respect from health workers).

^{DOH and WHO undertook joint field travel for the Ligtas Tigdas measles-rubella supplementary immunization activity kick-off in Barangay Parang Lumba, Siayan, in Zamboanga del Norte. Prioritizing GIDA sites ensures equitable access to quality immunization for children in the most remote areas. | Photo Credit: V. Labastida, ZDN LGU}

Behind the daily data and long field days were moments that defined the campaign. Health workers, once burdened by hours of trekking, found renewed energy and pride in running organized, community-based vaccination sites. Local leaders—from mayors to barangay captains—stepped forward to counter misinformation and advocate for the life-saving value of vaccines. At the same time, families who were initially hesitant due to myths online chose protection after open conversations, transforming fear into relief.

For Dr Bhatta, these moments captured the real impact of the work.

“It wasn’t just about delivering vaccines,” she said. “It was about closing an immunity gap—and showing that even the most ‘unreachable’ children can be reached when communities and leaders move together.”

^{Monitoring and supervision at a temporary fixed session site in Barangay Bobongan, Labason. Bringing health services closer to the people ensures life-saving Measles-Rubella vaccines reach every child in the community. | Photo Credit:R Enot, ZDN LGU}

As preparations begin in Luzon and Visayas for Phase 2 of the nationwide Ligtas Tigdas measles-rubella supplementary immunization activity, to begin this June 2026, the experience in Zamboanga del Norte stays with the teams who were there. In these places, protecting health meant adapting to people’s realities, not the other way around. And when communities, local leaders, and health workers moved together for health, standing with science, even the most distant areas became reachable.

Because beyond every doorstep is a child waiting to be protected, and a community ready to make it happen.