MCGs playing critical role in vaccination

 Lilongwe district environmental health officer Paul Chunga has said community-based mother care groups (MCGs) are critical in providing vaccination to children.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a refresher training for MCGs which Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) is conducting in nine districts. Chunga said the MCGs are supporting health workers to successfully provide immunisation to children.

“The MCGs are assisting the community-based health workers to reach each and every child as they live within the communities and are always in contact the mothers that have children that are eligible for immunisation.

“Additionally, it is easy for them to identify a child that has been immunised or has missed under-five scheduled static outreach clinic,” he noted.

Chunga said vaccine

uptake for children has improved to 95 percent in Lilongwe District where there are MCGs.

Lilongwe – based MCG secretary Elinati Chikumbutso said the skills and knowledge they have gained enables them to conduct door to door visits to encourage mothers to get their children vaccinated.

Mhen assistant project officer Tumpale Kalobo said they want to support the government, through the initiative, to reduce child mortality in the country.

“We want the MCGs to assist in the immunisation of children as we understand that community based health workers cannot reach out each and every child on their own for vaccination,” she said.

With financial support from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), Mhen is supporting and empowering the MCGs with knowledge and skills to take part in the vaccination of under five children as well as others that are eligible for vaccination