Project improves under-five immunization in Mzimba from 30% to 80%
The Health Systems Immunization Project has helped in registering high numbers of under-five children seeking immunization in Chikhwengwere village in Mzimba North.
Health systems immunization project is a six year government project which is under Ministry of Health and has partners like Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), College of Medicine among others.
Speaking with Nyasatimes on Tuesday during a refresher training for mother care groups, Senior Health Surveillance Assistant, Blessings Kasambara said the area had low coverage of immunizations before the project, but the project has helped to increase the numbers of children receiving immunizations.
“At first most of the children were not coming to receive immunizations but the coming of the project helped instituting the mother care groups comprising of women who go into the communities to make people understand about the importance of immunizing the under-five children hence the positive change.
In his estimate Kasambara said when the project was starting in 2019 they were at 30% but now they are somewhere at 80%.
Monitoring and Evaluations Officer for MHEN Florence Khonyongwa said throughout the project as a CSO their role has been to complement government efforts as far as immunization is concerned.
“As a way of complimenting government efforts we established these mother care groups that are responsible for tracking defaulters in their community, registering newly born children and initiating advocacy initiatives such as constructions of Village clinics, lobbying for deployment of health surveillance assistance and different activities that have helped solving prevailing health problems in their communities,” Khonyongwa said.
She said as MHEN they look at the community members as agents of change and they believe that if they empower communities they can be able to initiate development projects additionally they are also key in solving health problems and improving health conditions in their communities.
