Nsanje Achieves Remarkable 99.6% Oral Polio Vaccine Coverage
Nsanje District in Malawi achieves a 99.6% coverage of the Oral Polio Vaccine campaign, praising good coordination amongst stakeholders.
NSANJE, MALAWI — The recently concluded Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) campaign in Nsanje has achieved an impressive 99.6% coverage, according to Health Promotion Officer George Mbotwa, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
During a media briefing on Monday, Mbotwa disclosed that out of the targeted 166,603 children under the age of 15, a total of 165,958 received the vaccine, reflecting a commendable 99.6% success rate.
Surprisingly, the age group of 5 to 15 showed a higher turnout compared to the target age group of under 5.
Mbotwa attributed this discrepancy to potential issues with tallying the children receiving the vaccine.
The Health Promotion Officer credited the remarkable success to the excellent coordination among political leaders, faith leaders, the District Executive Committee (DEC), and the media.
However, Mbotwa expressed concern that some faith leaders had prohibited their church members from accessing the vaccine, hindering the campaign's reach.
Additionally, the proximity of Sorgin and Masenjere Health Centres to neighbouring districts, Chikwawa and Thyolo, respectively, contributed to a larger influx of children seeking healthcare services in Nsanje.
The HPO also noted that the district's accessibility to communities in Mozambique had likely increased the number of children receiving the vaccine.
Mbotwa commended the local radio stations, Gaka and Nyathepa, for their extensive broadcasting of jingles, which played a significant role in encouraging parents to bring their children for vaccination.
Chilenje Chilenje, Chief Bureau of Timveni Radio Nsanje, expressed gratitude to the Nsanje District Hospital Office for involving the media in disseminating vaccine-related messages and information effectively.