Campaign promotes homegrown vaccine undercuts rivals

WHO, with funding from the European Union, is implementing several awareness-raising campaigns to promote vaccination against COVID-19 by mobilizing students and young people in the Republic of Moldova. The initiatives are implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other governmental, health, and civil society partners in efforts that take a multisectoral and intersectoral approach. 

Football players engaged in COVID-19 communication efforts

A recently launched awareness-raising campaign promotes the benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 and contributes to achieving the national vaccination targets. The campaign, launched in December last year in partnership with one of the country’s most popular football clubs, Dacia Buiucani, has so far reached over 100 000 people on social media channels alone.

Football is arguably the most popular sport in the country, with over 85% of the male population and over 51% of the female population watching the sport regularly. 

“Through this special partnership we want to reach all football fans, including young people and their parents, with the message that vaccines bring us closer to doing what we love with those we love. Vaccines bring us one step closer to achieving a world where no one suffers or dies from a vaccine-preventable disease,” said Miljana Grbic, WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova.

Echoing this sentiment, the captain of the Dacia Buiucani football team said, “We football players have always been role models for the younger generations – that’s why we are very happy that in addition to the love for football, we can now also promote messages that help to keep our fans informed and healthy.”

The campaign includes the distribution of posters, footballs and backpacks with vaccine-related messages during the home matches of the Chișinău-based football club, as well as awareness-raising activities during events held in schools and kindergartens, organized by the Dacia Buiucani club.

“Roll up your sleeve, get vaccinated”

In close collaboration with the Republic of Moldova’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, together with the Moldovan Association of Students and Residents in Medicine, a large-scale awareness campaign is being implemented to inform students and young people about COVID-19. 

The campaign, called “Roll up your sleeve, get vaccinated”, highlights the importance of immunization efforts against COVID-19 and seeks to involve young people by engaging with them in universities and other student spaces to pass on key information to their families and peers.

Informational materials are being widely distributed and a series of public lectures is being held to reach students at all stages of their studies.

“By rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated and by passing on key information to those at home and those around them, young people can help us to protect everyone’s health,” said Ala Nemerenco, Minister of Health, during the campaign launch event. 

Authorities observed a 22% increase in the number of vaccinations administered to young people aged 18–24 years in October 2021, compared to the number in the previous month, prior to the start of the campaign.

European Union Eastern Partnership project

The campaign is part of the European Union (EU) and WHO/Europe partnership to support the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and routine vaccination in the 6 EU Eastern Partnership countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

The project, funded by the EU and implemented by WHO/Europe, covers all phases of COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination, constituting end-to-end support. It also serves as a major investment to strengthen routine immunization systems in the 6 countries.