The Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) says the trends of immunisation coverage in Malawi have increased from 63 per cent in 2019 to 80 per cent in 2025, which is the recommended coverage rate by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
MHEN said this trend of an increase in immunisation coverage is demonstrating that there is a significant population of children in Dowa district that are being reached with immunisation services, thanking Mother Care Groups for creating awareness among fellow community members about the importance of immunisation.
The organisation said Mother Care Groups, apart from creating awareness among fellow community members, have also promoted and facilitated access to immunisation services by facilitating the construction of village clinics and houses for Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs).
Presenting the end of the project report for Gavi-Health Systems in Immunisation Strengthening (HSIS) to the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, MHEN Project’s Accountant Grevazio Boko, said the project was implemented in 9 districts of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Dowa, Chitipa, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Mzimba North and Mzimba South.
Boko said the project targeted hard-to-reach areas, urban slums and refugee camps, was being implemented by the Ministry of Health through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, UNICEF was responsible for procurements and the College of Medicine.
He said the project established Mother Care Groups in hard-to-reach areas, special Mother Care Groups camps at Dzaleka and urban slums, conducting interface meetings with stakeholders and collecting data for Monitoring and Evaluation, accountability and learning.
The Officer said Mother Care Groups were modelled through empowerment of women on how to advocate, defaulter tracking of under-5 children, demand creation on immunisation, and registration of under-5 children.
He said the project engaged media houses to review editorial policies for reporting on health, producing and broadcasting radio programmes on immunisation and Health Systems Strengthening, and publishing quarterly platform policy briefs as well as establishing a media award on Immunisation and Health Systems Strengthening.
“The project supported media houses on the establishment of a health desk to advocate for Health Systems Strengthening and immunisation, and producing a quarterly Newsletter by Civil Society Organisation (CSO),” said Boko.
He said the project’s Mother Care Groups have registered remarkable achievements such as building houses for HSAs, advocating taps at guardian shelters, buying benches for the Maternity wing, construction of village clinics, and building toilets, among others.
However, Boko said the project met some challenges in the course of implementation, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted the implementation of activities, delayed the disbursement of funds, and led to a scarcity of fuel and the dropping out of some members that were already been trained.
He said on the sustainability mechanism, the project has integrated Mother Care Groups activities in routine immunisation activities, involvement of chiefs in Mother Care Group activities and the organisation’s involvement in training HSAs and monitoring Mother Care Groups.
The 5-year project, Gavi Health Systems in Immunisation Strengthening (HSIS), was implemented from July 2018 to June 2025 with funds from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
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