Tag Archives: Polio Immunization

Health, Malawi

“Act on religious sects denying children polio vaccine” – PAC dares Govt

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

By Mphatso Nkuonera

MANA-(LILONGWE)-The quasi-religious body, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has asked government to swiftly act on reports of some children being denied polio vaccine based on religious doctrines, calling the situation a ‘death trap’.

PAC Spokesperson, Bishop Gilford Matonga, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) in interview on Wednesday that there is no harm for government to intervene with force and protect children who are at risk of being exposed to avoidable deformities for life by parental decisions.

“PAC strongly condemns, in strongest terms, any religious grouping, sect of some faithful denying children to be vaccinated. This is very unfortunate and we will not accept it to thrive. Polio is a killer and it can deform the children.

Polio Immunization

“We appeal to government to take a strong stand against anyone denying children the vaccine. It must come in to protect its citizens because the future of this country is in these children who are being exposed to such hazards by faith,” he said.

Matonga said religious sects and other communities must not deliberately twist the interpretation of the holy books and start blocking others from accessing health services.

“We have 195 health facilities and 11 training colleges under the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) across the country to complement government efforts on health issues. If taking medicine was wrong, how would we have these religious originated health facilities?” he asked.

PAC was reacting to the facts that some Zion Christian followers in Salima under Traditional Authority (TA) Ndindi are shunning the vaccine which government rolled out on Monday.

In an interview with Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) for Ndindi catchment area, Lidson Chikhwethe, under Mchoka Health Centre in the district said the 1,719 target, may hit a snag following resistance from Zion Church members who are denying taking any medicine.

“This is the second day since we rolled out vaccine. Although we are able to meet our daily target of 150 children, worries have engulfed HSAs because on the onset two families of Zion Church have already blocked their children to access the vaccine on religious grounds,” he said.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Adrian Chikumbe, said the mass vaccination campaign has rolled out successfully in all the 28 districts across the country.

“So far we have not received any technical challenge since we rolled out the national polio vaccine on Monday 21st March, 2022. We are hopeful that government will reach the 2.9million national target.

“We are working towards addressing human resources gaps with speed. We were expected to have 15,000 HSAs but we have only 10,000. We are sure that very soon we will close this 5,000 shortfall existing due to bureaucratic systems, otherwise donors are ready to support,” he said.

Polio is a highly transmissible virus most often spread via the stool of an infected person usually through contaminated water or food.

It can also be spread via oral or nasal secretions and mainly affects children under five.

Health, Malawi

Malawi Polio immunization campaign extended to two more days

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-After embarked on four days polio campaign country wide,the ministry of heath has extended extra two days to the campaign.

This means that the exercise will run up to March 26 from March 24 as scheduled.

Polio immunization to U-5 children

In press statement, Secretary for Health Charles Mwasambo said with the partners the ministry designated 21 to 24 march as first round for mass vaccination of Under-5 children.

Mwasambo said through the daily reviews that the four days planned ate not adequate due to heavy rains in some parts of the country which makes difficult for the health workers to reach out to the community.

He said the ministry will continue to monitor the outcomes of the campaign that the country achieve the best coverage for the better hard immunity and ultimately contain polio virus spread.

The exercise is expected to reach 2.9 million children.

Health, Malawi

700,000 Malawian children immunized on Polio in two days

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-As the polio campaign ends on March 25 2022,the country has managed to immunized over 700,000 children.

Deputy Manager for Polio in the ministry of health,Dr Annie Mwale said the first day health centers managed to immunize 410,000 while second and third managed to reach 379,000 children

Mwale said despite encountering minor challenges of some cultural beliefs, the ministry is committed to reach out to the parents that are living in denial.

Under- 5 getting Polio vaccines

She said heavy rains has also contributed in the reach out as some hard to reach areas were affected.

Touring one of Dowa’s centers, district Heath Surveillance Assistant (HSA), Philip Chimenya cited misconception as one challenge encountered during the administration.

Chimenya said some communities thought that the polio immunization is related to COVID-19.

The campaign runs across the country targeting 2.9 million under five children.

Health, Malawi

Malawi’s Polio immunization on track: Over 20,000 children reached in Salima

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE (MaraviPost)-As the country embarked on polio vaccine administering, Salima District has managed to immunized 20,000 children in two days.

This has been revealed during the visit to two sites in district namely Mchoka and Chingaluwe health center.

Over 20,000 children reached in Salima

Salima District’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) coordinator, Cosmas Phiri disclosed on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 that the district targets 91,901 children for the exercise.

Phiri said though the program started with low turn up due poor sensitization, the team managed to boost up the awareness campaign through community radio stations with messages.

Mchoka Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) Lindison Chikhwethe said the daily administering targets 150 under five children.

He said Mchoka targets 1719 population between four months of the campaign.

Chikhwethe said the vaccine is expected to be done for four days and to be re-administered in the next three months consecutively.

Echoing on the same, Chinguluwe HSA,Charles Mwale said they managed to administer 186 children out 488 target in two days.

Speaking to one of the parents whose two daughters received the vaccine, Yagali chikafa, 22 said the vaccine will prevent children from being paralyzed

Ministry of Health Publicist Adrian Chikumbe said the campaign started well as the ministry has not received any complaint.

Chikumbe said despite the ministry having the shortage of health personnel on the project of 10,000 government plans to add extra part time officers.

The four days immunization campaign started on March 21 to end March 24, 2022 with the target of 2.9 million under five children.

Health, Malawi

Malawi commences Polio immunization: Targets 2.9 million U-5 children

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-In line with the international Health Regulations (IHR), the country has rolled out polio immunization which will run from March 21 to 24, 2022.

Polio vaccination campaign is targeting 2.9 million children below the age of five years.

Health Minister launches Polio vaccination

The Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said on Sunday, March 20, 2022 during the official launch of Polio Mass Vaccination Campaign at Chileka Secondary in Lilongwe.

Kandodo said the country has immediately put in place additional activities in order to contain the situation of polio in the country.

Chiponda said the first step government declared National Public Health Emergency which president Lazarus Chakwera did last month in February.

She said Immediately after that announcement the country received experts from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative who came and are still here supporting the country with expertise and finances in this fight against polio.

Chiponda said ministry of health have set up Emergence Operations Committees (EOC) at National and District levels meetings happening on a daily basis.

“A risk assessment of the situation has been done with support from partners, We are also working very closely with our neighboring countries because diseases know no borders,” said Chiponda.

She encouraged everyone in the country to take all the children who are less than five years old, regardless of whether they already received polio vaccine or not to get vaccinated.

The minister therefore remind the nation that “We still have the other health problems with us which we also need to deal with in particular the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let us do the polio vaccinations while observing the COVID-19 prevention and control measures”.

Health

Malawi Govt to embark on polio fight

Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Following the recent detective of Poliovirus type 1 that was imported from Pakistan, Malawi government has set aside the pandemic elimination strategy through vaccine.

Addressing the media in Lilongwe, Deputy Minister of Health Enock Phale said government has put Polio elimination strategies that are in line with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Phale geared to address polio

According to Phale Polio immunization remain the most reliable strategy to fight the disease apart from sanitation and other strategies.

Phale further disclosed that the ministry of health will introduce supplementary polio immunization in two weeks time that children be fully protect from the disease

He said the ministry would like to assure the nation that government with support from their partners will do everything possible to control the situation.

Phale therefore called upon political leaders, religious leaders and community leaders to support Government in encouraging the communities to take part in the Polio eradication activities by taking their
children for the routine polio immunization and also for the supplemental polio immunizations which we will start soon.

Meanwhile the ministry has urged the citizenry to be taking their children to hospital for Polio immunization.