Written By: Lloyd M’bwana
The Malawi government through Ministry of Health is earmarking to reach about 2,609,699 children and 163,194 post-partum mothers with Vitamin A supplement plus 1, 592, 221 children with deworming tablets in the 2016 round one of child health days.
The exercise is the country’s annual event aims at providing Vitamin A Supplement and deworming tablets accompanied by an intensive social mobilization and information education and communication with emphasis on infant and young child feeding, use of insecticides treated nets and hygiene.
With financial support from USAID, UNICEF and World Vision Malawi, the first round of the child health days runs from March 7 to 11, 2015 in all public health facilities across the nation targeting children aged 6 to 11 months and post-natal mother less than eight weeks who will be provided with Vitamin A capsules while at the same time children aged 12 to 59 months (one year to 5 years) are also expected to get Vitamin A and deworming tablets.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Maravi Post on Monday, March 07, after launching the health week in the capital Lilongwe, Minister of Heath Peter Kumpalume emphasized the need for parents, guardians and care givers to embrace the initiative in a bid to reach many children and mothers for achieving a health society.
Kumpalume was delighted with the country’s successes in most maternal and child health (MCH) services since 1990s resulting into improvement in morbidity and mortality patterns, especially from diseases amenable to immunization and other preventable child illness.
“Even with this impressive performance, there are still certain services for instance Vitamin A supplementation, which are registering low coverage of the target under five population with certain segments of the society who are hard to reach with routine services. These problems have led the ministry and its partners to conduct biannual Child Health Days (CHDS) throughout the country starting from 2003 in order to service the hard to reach groups with MCH services.
“Child health week is a campaign week but these important services will continue to be offered routinely in our health facilities from time to time. Let urge all community leaders, parents, guardians and caregivers to make sure that as many children as possible are reached during the campaign week to reach or even surpass our given targets that with collaboration and cooperation this is possible”, assured Minister Kumpalume.
Malawi is amongst developing countries with highest maternal and under five rates in the world which according to 2014 Unicef report revealed that under-five mortality rate was at 64 per 1000 live births attributed to diseases including Malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infectio
