Berea, Feb. 25 – Berea district has recorded an overall performance of 66 percent in the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, falling short of the 95 percent target set during the recent nationwide immunisation drive.
This was revealed on Wednesday during the District Immunisation Steering Committee (DISC) quarterly meeting held at the District Health Management Team (DHMT) boardroom.
Presenting the district’s performance, District Child Health Officer Ms Malehano Ramatutu said Berea conducted the vaccination campaign from October 20 to 24 last year. She noted that services were delivered through fixed, outreach and mobile sites across 23 health facilities in the district.
Ms Ramatutu explained that MR vaccinations are administered routinely, with supplementary campaigns conducted every three to five years to strengthen routine immunisation and curb the spread of highly contagious viral diseases.
She highlighted that among the best performing facilities was Sion Health Centre, while Khubetsoana Health Centre recorded the lowest coverage during the campaign.
The District Health Officer indicated that the district’s achievements were attributed to timely allocation of resources, prioritisation of demand generation, enhanced community engagement and support from stakeholders including the education sector, media and other partners.
However, she cited challenges such as the limited timeframe for the campaign, which proved strenuous for vaccination teams, lack of support for stakeholder meetings and vaccine hesitancy among some community members.
She further reported that the district recorded 25 cases of adverse events following immunisation from eight facilities, noting that most were minor.
As a way forward, Ms Ramatutu said there is a need to develop a community feedback mechanism, strengthen routine social mobilisation and demand generation, effectively address adverse events following immunisation and improve planning.
Advising on strategies to improve vaccination coverage, Public Health Nurse Ms Nomsa Polaki said engaging Village Health Workers (VHWs) in door-to-door campaigns has proven effective in ensuring that no child is left behind.
Echoing the same sentiments, Dr Wlombbwoy Lubuua emphasised the importance of immunisation, stating that it should reach everyone, including pregnant women.
Dr Lubuua also underscored the need for strong community engagement and ownership during vaccination campaigns, encouraging communities to contribute through various forms of support and resource mobilisation to promote a healthy nation.
Participants further recommended capacity building for VHWs on conducting accurate headcounts and understanding their importance in improving coverage.
According to data from the Bureau of Statistics, Berea has a population of 273,706, with approximately 4,000 surviving infants.
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