ECHO community, faith leaders on Covid-19 vaccine drive campaign

By Thandie Chadzandiyani

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), faith leaders and Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) has embarked a sensetization campaign to ward block leaders and faith leaders on Covid-19 vaccine uptake.

Lilongwe DHO Health Promotion Officer Trinitus Mvalo said with financial support from Concern Worldwide the campaign uses mobile van publicity to publicize the vaccine.

“We have seen a change since we started these meetings more people are coming for the jab. For health personnel protection we prefer people coming to the public hospitals, this jab is a volunteer thing,  no one is forced to get it,” he said.

Patrick Jackson Kalolo chairman of Champuntha Trading center explained that ” Its not easy to get people from this village to get the jab as they have received the wrong information already, you have to start from the beginning again to reset their mindset, but with the help from the DHO we have made progress”.

Wongani Kaonga programm support officer explained the project aims at providing support to the national govetnment, local government authorities and communities in Malawi to prevent, rapidly detect and effectively respond to COVID-19 pandemic thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.

“These briefings are being conducted with the aim of appealing the gate keepers to have a better understand on the characteristics of the vaccine and the vaccine administration process focusing more on countering misconception about the vaccine and corona virus disease,” she further elaborated.

The project working on COVID-19 vaccine awareness is being implemented under a consortium of nine organizations, Concern Worldwide, Ciiperazione Internazionale (lead), Oxfarm, Catholic Relief Services, United Purpose, Save the Children,  GOAL Malawi,  Care and Trocaire.

The ECHO project has been running from August 1 2020 and will end on October 31 2021 with 3.4 Million EURO’s contribution from the European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) plus 93, 355 EURO’s contribution from the NGO partners.