Zimpapers Logo

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu ,[email protected]

BULAWAYO is set to commence the second round of the National Novel Oral Polio Vaccine campaign today, following a successful initial phase that reported an unprecedented 111 percent coverage.

 The forthcoming four-day initiative, a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE), and various partners, aims to sustain the momentum in the fight against polio.

The decision to proceed with the next vaccination round was informed by the recent detection of the Vaccine Derived Polio Virus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the Harare Metropolitan Province, as well as a case of Acute Flaccid Paralysis in Sanyati district, Mashonaland West province.

Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube confirmed these developments in a statement, underscoring the city’s commitment to safeguarding public health through vigilant immunization efforts.

“In response to the outbreak the nOPV2 vaccine will continue to be used and Round 1 was conducted from the 20th to the 23rd of February 2024. The city achieved 111 percent surpassing the expected target of 95 percent  most likely attributed to; robust social mobilization by all stakeholders, dedicated staff, mobile population and caregivers high risk perception of poliomyelitis,” said  Dube.

“However, there are still unvaccinated children in the community due to various reasons, thus posing a risk of experiencing an outbreak in Bulawayo. The second round of the campaign will be conducted from Tuesday, 19 March 2024 to Friday 22 March 2024. All the children aged 0 to under 10 years of age are will receive vaccines from Municipal clinics, Central hospitals, Mater Dei hospital, selected private surgeries offering vaccination, Crèches, Primary schools, market places, churches, bus termini, and outreach points including house to house.”

In her provincial stakeholder meeting update, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Sister Chiedza Sibanda acknowledged the success of the recent vaccination campaign, which exceeded its target. However, she highlighted that there are still unvaccinated children who need to be reached.

Sister Sibanda urged all stakeholders and residents to actively participate in the vaccination drive to prevent a polio outbreak in Bulawayo, which last faced this challenge in 1989. The collective effort is crucial to ensure that every child is protected against the disease.

“By district, Emakhandeni had a target of 60 857 and we vaccinated 102 percent while Nkulumane achieved a 99 percent coverage of the targeted 46 228 targeted children. We had targeted 39 206 children in the Northern Suburbs and achieved a 113 percent coverage which is a good sign. In addition to all these, we managed to vaccinate 29 677 children from hospitals, private institutions and from uniformed sources,” said Sr Sibanda.

She said council workers will continue doing door to door visit to ensure that no one is left behind.