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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief

MATABELELAND South province has launched a sensitisation programme in preparation for a mass polio immunisation campaign targeting children under the age of five years.

The campaign will be held towards the end of this month.

The immunisation programme, which will cover the entire Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region will run from 27 to 30 October and from 1 to 4 December.

In a notice, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the immunisation of children will be conducted mainly through door-to-door visits by health personnel.

The exercise will also be carried out at health facilities, schools, churches, markets places and open spaces.

Addressing members of the provincial development committee yesterday, Matabeleland South Provincial Nursing Officer, Mrs Joyce Sibanda said the purpose of the meeting was to cascade the information down to community level.

“We are going to conduct a massive polio campaign. It’s a global initiative that is being undertaken as a result of the polio disease, which has been reported in neighbouring countries,” she said.

Since February, wide polio virus cases were identified in Malawi and Mozambique hence there are fears the disease could spread to other countries.

Mrs Sibanda said the most vulnerable are children aged five and below.

“The vaccination campaign is likely to be synchronised among all countries in the Sadc region. We have been vaccinating since independence but this programme will be door-to-door to ensure all children are vaccinated,” she said.

Matabeleland South Provincial health promotions officer, Mr Saidi Mpota said village health workers will be incorporated into the programme.

A child under five years will be given two drops of oral poliovirus vaccines (OPV). Mr Mpota said the first round will be held from 27 to 30 October while the second one runs from 1 to 4 December.

Each child that will be immunised will be marked on the left small finger.

Mr Mpota said the province will need more than 200 vehicles for the massive exercise and training of staff started on Monday.

He called on PDC members to assist the ministry with information dissemination on the polio campaign, community mobilisation and resources such as vehicles.

Zimbabwe is on polio and measles alert following the detection of the diseases in neighbouring countries and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of possible outbreaks if measures are not taken to speed up vaccination.

Vaccine-derived polio, a form of the disease stemming from incomplete vaccination coverage, is more widespread globally. Recent outbreaks in Malawi have sparked concerns about how the Covid-19 pandemic may have hit vaccination coverage.

The WHO has said in a bid to prevent renewed spread in Africa, almost 70  000 vaccinators will go door-to-door in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, to give all children under five the OPV in a US$15,7 million campaign funded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

The organisation said many children were left without protection against measles and other vaccine preventable diseases due to Covid-19-induced service delivery disruptions.

As a result, the risk of large outbreaks has increased.

In 2020, a total of 23 million children missed out on all basic childhood vaccines, the highest number recorded since 2009.

In a recent interview, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro said as the country continues to battle the effects of Covid-19, every parent and guardian should ensure that children are vaccinated against polio and measles.

“We know that polio was eradicated in Africa, but recently a case was recorded from Malawi so we are on high alert. We would like to encourage parents and guardians to take children for vaccination,” he said.

“In addition to Covid-19, we continue to vaccinate children against all those viral infections and we are committed as Government to ensure no child is left behind.”

Dr Mangwiro said although no outbreaks have been recorded in Zimbabwe, the ministry has made all provisions to detect such cases before they spread

“We need to keep ourselves safe from spreading these infections. If a child gets sick or is feeling unwell let’s rush to health institutions as soon as possible and keep them in a clean environment. As Government, we are on the lookout for those signs and symptoms for those two diseases,” he said. -@DubeMatutu