Health Minister, Khumbize Kandodo-Chiponda has kicked off an Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign in Balaka District, aiming to immunize more than 100,000 people aged one year and above.
Speaking when launching the campaign, the minister reiterated that the government will remain steadfast in making sure that Cholera-related deaths are eradicated by 2030.
She emphasized that a healthy nation is crucial in the development of any society, hence calling for a collective effort from different stakeholders in the fight against the outbreak.
“We are launching the campaign today, and our goal is to reduce the annual cholera rate by 90% and achieve a case fatality rate of less than 1% by the year 2030, aligning with the World Health Organization—WHO.
“However, for the war against the outbreak to be effective, there are several ways to achieve the goal, and it includes a good collaboration between the government, civil society organizations, the government, and development partners in providing their technical expertise and finances to support prevention and control efforts,” Chiponda said.
The campaign is aimed at halting the ongoing transmission and control of the cholera outbreak that has affected the country.
The campaign has been supported by partners such as WHO and UNICEF and will run from 20-24 January 2025.
Meanwhile, Dr Aisi Akoso, WHO’s Programme on Extended Immunization Lead, has expressed her organization’s unwavering commitment to supporting the government of Malawi in various health interventions.
“As WHO, we pledge our total support to the government of Malawi to ensure that access to health is for all regardless of any circumstances, and, no one should left behind in accessing quality health care.
“Therefore, we shall continue supporting the Ministry of Health to deliver quality healthcare to the people, no matter where they are and how far they are,” she said.
Last week, the Malawi government launched an OCV campaign targeting cholera hotspots districts of Balaka, Karonga, Mzimba North and Machinga to address a recent resurgence of the outbreak.
In Balaka district, 75 cases of cholera have been registered since November 2024, and 3 deaths have been registered as of January 20, 2025.
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