Health and Wellness

(1)(a) According to the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation schedule, Measles-Rubella vaccines are administered at 6 and 12 months of age. In the Western Cape, the coverage for children under 1 during the 2025/26 financial year was 97%.

(1)(b) The target for the 2025/26 financial year was 71%, while the target for the 2026/27 financial year is 73.3%.

(2)(a) During the last three years, one measles-specific mass vaccination campaign was conducted namely in February 2023, the National Department of Health’s measles vaccination campaign.

In addition, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness participated in the November 2025 National immunisation catch-up campaign, which was a broader immunisation campaign that included measles vaccinations.

Measles vaccination is also provided consistently as part of the routine Expanded Programme on Immunisation, and general immunisation awareness and uptake activities form part of ongoing health service practice, including routine facility-based services, outreach activities, and school health engagements where applicable.

(2)(b) During the 2023 measles-specific mass campaign, the focus was to vaccinate all children under the age of 15. Through collaborative efforts, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness vaccinated 252 819 children during this campaign. The campaign was continued for an additional month to improve reach, during which a further 447 692 children were reached.

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness participated in the National Catch-Up Drive from in November 2025 as part of a coordinated national effort to strengthen routine immunisation and protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases.

During this campaign, 4 040 vaccine doses were administered, including:

• 1 905 Hexavalent doses: 156 first doses, 223 second doses, 248 third doses, and 1 278 fourth doses.
• 1 320 Measles-Rubella doses: 428 first doses and 892 second doses.
• 815 PCV doses: 142 first doses, 232 second doses, and 441 third doses.

In addition to vaccination services, other child health catch-up interventions such as Vitamin A supplementation and deworming were also conducted. This reflects focused efforts to reach unimmunised children, intensify routine services, and provide additional child health interventions such as Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, growth monitoring, and HIV services.

(2)(c) The following challenges were identified:

•  Stock shortages, including Measles-Rubella vaccine, deworming, and Vitamin A, requiring continuous monitoring and service adjustments.
• Budget constraints for local radio messaging, despite regular metro radio slots, and limited alignment of GCIS-supported radio platforms with target audiences.
• High levels of non-immunisation in areas where vaccine hesitancy is high, mainly due to misinformation circulating within communities in the post-COVID era.
• Broader access barriers, including crime and staff safety concerns.

(3)(a) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has implemented the following strategies to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of measles vaccination:

• Strengthening community awareness and participation through the mobilisation of Health Promotion Officers and Community Health Workers, particularly in areas with low vaccination coverage.
• Conducting door-to-door screening and vaccination in response to confirmed measles outbreaks.
• Reinforcing routine immunisation services by ensuring that the Road-to-Health Booklet is checked at every health facility visit and that any missed doses are administered.
• Implementing targeted outreach programmes at schools and Early Childhood Development centres to improve access and uptake.

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness also implements a range of ongoing communication and demand-creation strategies to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of measles vaccination and routine childhood immunisation. These include a paid immunisation awareness campaign informed by research and audience insights, designed to address barriers to uptake and reinforce the benefits of timely vaccination.

In addition, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness uses integrated communication channels such as community radio, local media, both print and digital, social media platforms, WhatsApp messaging, school health engagements, and facility-based health promotion to share accurate and accessible information. Messaging is tailored to ensure clarity, cultural relevance, and reach across the province.

The Increasing Wellness Team shares key, evidence-based messages, either from communications or from other materials, on vaccinations or immunisations with Western Cape on Wellness (WoW) Champions and other service colleagues, who then share them in communities and use them during clinic-based wellness activities.

During Children and Youth Month in June, toolkits on child health are developed and shared. These include information regarding immunisation, including videos and printed materials for clinics and Community Health Workers. IEC materials are also made available through a downloadable folder.

WoW Champions and Wellness Promotion Representatives further support by sharing information, messages, and photos from vaccination awareness activities conducted in services or communities.

(3)(b) The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness collaborates with a range of stakeholders to strengthen vaccination uptake, including:

• Internal collaboration with Expanded Programme on Immunisation Managers, Pharmaceutical Services, Health Promotion, Communication, Health Information Management and Surveillance, and Primary Health Care services.
• External partners, including non-governmental organisations, the Department of Basic Education, and the private healthcare sector.

(4)(a) There were two measles outbreaks recorded over the past three years. The first was experienced during 2023, and the second is an ongoing outbreak from October 2025 to date.

(4)(b) Several targeted campaigns were held in areas where outbreaks were experienced:

• October 2025: Khayelitsha and Eastern Substructure.
• January to February 2026: Mitchells Plain Subdistrict.
• February to March 2026: Southern Western Substructure and Northern Tygerberg Substructure.

A total of 39 939 individuals were vaccinated during the ongoing 2025/26 targeted campaigns.