Chitipa district environmental health officer john Mpoha has commended mother care groups for promoting vaccine access among under-five children in remote areas.
Speaking on Tuesday after a monitoring exercise at Kavomolo, he said the volunteers’ efforts have helped the district’s health office to reach out to many under-five children with immunisation services.
“Since the establishment of the mother care groups in 2018, we have seen the rise in the numbers of under-five children access vaccines,” said Mpoha.
clinic in Chitipa. | Joseph Mbughi
Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) project assistant officer Mphatso Kamangira , w hose organi sation helped to establish the mother care groups, expressed satisfaction with the volunteers’ efforts.
He said: “The volunteers help to improve vaccine uptake as they mobilise mothers to patronise under-five clinics and other outreach centres for their children to receive vaccines.
“The volunteers al so advocate for improved primary healthcare service delivery.”
In her remarks, Nyimbiri Mother Care Group chairperson Johanna Mtambo from Traditional Authority Mwenewenya said Mhen trained 30 mother care groups in the district to conduct awareness campaigns on the importance of immunisation.
She said many mothers are now aware of the importance of vaccinations.
“Besides encouraging mothers to take their children for vaccination, we also constructed an under-five clinic which will improve vaccine access for children,” said Mtambo.
Group village head Donald, who is Sokola Mother Care Group patron, thanked Mhen for their support.
“Women no longer give birth in the village but in hospital,” he said.
Mhen has been working with the Ministry of Health to promote vaccination efforts with funding from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation.
