By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, February 16, Mana: Executive Director for Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), George Jobe, has expressed gratitude over the Healthy System and Immunization Strengthening (HSIS) project, saying collaborative efforts between Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) and Mother Care Groups has improved vaccine coverage among children in Malawi.

Jobe expressed his gratitude on Friday during a meeting with the HSAs at Ndirande Kachere CCAP, which was held to strengthen linkage between HSAs and Mother Care Groups on top of learning HSAs achievements in the course of HSIS project implementation.

Speaking during the meeting, Jobe said the status of vaccine coverage in under five children has greatly improved with almost 98% because of the support from HSAs and Mother Care Groups.

He added that through HSIS project, MHEN trains the care groups about advocacy in order to address challenges associated with the vaccines in the community.

“Refusing vaccines has reduced greatly, coverage has improved greatly, especially in the areas where there are Mother Care Groups. It is therefore important to have care groups because community members can easily understand issues of vaccines,” said Jobe.

He then disclosed that Blantyre was the lowest district in vaccine uptake among nine districts before the implementation of the project in 2017, as it was recorded quantitatively to have 40% vaccine coverage, adding that as of 2024, vaccine coverage has greatly improved to almost 98%.

HSIS is a project being implemented by MHEN in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Chitipa, Mzuzu, Kasungu, Dowa, Ntchisi, and Mzimba with funds from Global Alliance Vaccine Immunization (GAVI), running from 2018 to 2025.

In her remarks, Zingwangwa HSA Supervisor Florence Nasava said at first their facility's vaccine coverage was below 60% but working hand in hand with Mother Care Groups has helped the facility to reach out to almost 100% of mothers in their community to participate in children clinics and vaccine uptake due to advocacy on child vaccination and immunization.

“In past years, our vaccine coverage was at lowest as most community members had myths and misconceptions on vaccine. The project has really helped to alert people on the importance of children's vaccine and immunization and this has helped to improve attendance at under five children clinics up to 100%,” said Nasava.

She therefore expressed gratitude over the decision to hold HSAs and Mother Care Groups meeting, saying the meeting was ideal as it strengthened working relationship between the two.

Nasava also called MHEN and other organizations to support Mother Care Groups with resources, such as push bicycles for easy mobility and uniforms for identity in the course of their voluntary work.