Not just a “sharp scratch”: on an island in Lake Tana, immunisation was an odyssey

Photo credit: Mulugeta Andulem. Retrieved from gavi.org

Just two boat services a week connect Dek Island, the largest island in Ethiopia’s Lake Tana, to Bahir Dar, its nearest major city on the mainland, which has long made accessing basic health care, including immunisations, difficult for residents.

When a health centre was built on the island a decade ago, hopes rose, but amid persistent challenges related to infrastructure, transportation, electricity and staff shortages, and with a lack of necessary equipment, the promise of close-at-hand, reliable medical facilities went unrealised for years.

But since 2020, that picture has shifted. We spoke to health workers, Bahir Dar district health leaders and Dek Island parents, and learned that for vaccination at least, families no longer need to risk an odyssey to the mainland.