Malawi launches drive to close measles immunity gap ahead of nationwide campaign

Health authorities have urged parents and guardians across Malawi to bring children aged 9 months to 9 years for measles and rubella vaccination, and children aged 12 to 59 months for Vitamin A supplementation, ahead of a nationwide campaign running from September 21 to 25, 2026.

The call was made at a media engagement in Mponela, Dowa, this week, with officials warning that the country’s immunity gap has left it vulnerable to repeated outbreaks.

Dr Jane Dzoole, Deputy Programme Manager for the Extended Programme on Immunization, said the campaign was critical to curbing measles outbreaks that have persisted since 2024. She said routine immunization coverage needs to exceed 95% to close the gap, but has hovered between 80% and 85% in recent years.

As of June 2026, Malawi had recorded more than 200 confirmed measles cases, with the central and southern regions worst affected.

Districts including Nsanje, Chikwawa, Balaka, Lilongwe and Kasungu have been hit hardest. Dzoole noted that the last supplementary immunization campaign, held in 2023, achieved administrative coverage of 82.4%, though only five districts reached the 95% target and ten fell below 80%.

A post-campaign survey later put actual coverage at 75.7%.

Officials described measles as one of the most contagious diseases in the world, spread through respiratory droplets, with an incubation period of 7 to 23 days.

Patients are most infectious four days before and after the rash appears.

Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a blotchy rash, while complications can include pneumonia, diarrhoea, ear infections and encephalitis, particularly among unvaccinated children under five.

Rubella, though usually mild, poses serious risks to pregnant women, potentially causing Congenital Rubella Syndrome and associated birth defects.

Globally, measles cases rose to 11 million in 2024 from 10.34 million in 2023, causing an estimated 95,000 deaths, mostly among unvaccinated children under five, with Africa remaining the hardest-hit region.

Dzoole said treatment focuses on supportive care, including Vitamin A dosing at diagnosis, the following day, and again after four to six weeks if deficiency signs persist, alongside proper nutrition and care of the eyes, mouth and skin.

The five-day campaign aims to vaccinate more than 95% of children aged 6 months to 9 years, deliver Vitamin A to children aged 12 to 59 months, interrupt measles transmission, and strengthen surveillance and routine immunization systems.

Dzoole appealed to parents, guardians, religious leaders and teachers to support the effort, urging communities to bring every eligible child forward.

Speaking at the same event, Malawi Red Cross Society Director of Programmes and Development Lenard Maganga urged journalists to verify information and avoid sensational headlines aimed solely at attracting attention.

He said the rise of artificial intelligence had made it easier for people to create fake images, making it more important than ever to distinguish fact from opinion in reporting.

The Malawi Red Cross Society is supporting the campaign with a contribution of K600 million.