By Blessings Makuwira:
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has urged Malawians to take the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) to prevent the spread of cholera.
Chiponda made the call Monday during the launch of the vaccine and the opening of Kwitanda Maternity Wing in Balaka District.
She underlined the importance of vaccination, saying that the vaccine would help control the further spread of cholera cases, which is the aim of the initiative.
“We are asking Malawians to make use of the vaccine that the Ministry of Health is providing to curb the spread of cholera in the communities that are affected.
“As a government, our goal is to end the cholera pandemic by 2030. This is why we are doing our best to provide measures to Malawians in most parts of the country,” the minister said.
In her remarks, World Health Organisation’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation Lead for Malawi, Akosua Ayisi, assured that the organisation would continue supporting Malawi in providing quality healthcare.
Sub-Traditional Authority Mpilisi of Balaka District pledged the community’s commitment to encouraging people to access the vaccine.
Mpilisi commended the government for what he called its efforts to ensure that people in remote areas are able to access the vaccine without any challenges.
“As the custodian of the community members in our areas, we are happy with how the government is implementing various initiatives to curb the spread of different pandemics, such as cholera.
“The arrival of the vaccine in this remote area will help prevent the spread of the disease, which is a milestone in development,” the local leader said.
Since September 2024, approximately 282 people have been affected by cholera and 14 have died across five districts.
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