Lilongwe, 11 August 2022 – Malawi at present kicked off the third spherical of vaccination in opposition to wild poliovirus sort 1 to guard all underneath 5 youngsters and halt the devastating virus from spreading.
Round 3.4 Million vaccine doses might be administered within the third spherical of the nationwide mass vaccination marketing campaign. The a number of vaccination rounds purpose to interrupt the circulation of the poliovirus by immunizing each baby underneath 5 years with oral polio vaccine no matter earlier immunization standing. Malawi declared a wild poliovirus sort 1 (WPV1) outbreak in February after detecting a case, the nation’s first wild poliovirus case in 30 years. Neighboring Mozambique has additionally 4 confirmed wild poliovirus circumstances.
The earlier two mass vaccination rounds had been of low high quality as solely 5 districts out of 29 in spherical one and 9 districts out of 29 in spherical two have handed the Lot High quality Assurance Survey (LQAS).
“The circulation of the virus will solely be interrupted if the nation delivers high quality rounds utilizing home to deal with vaccination technique” mentioned Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, World Well being Group (WHO) Consultant in Malawi. “I urge all front-line employees and specifically vaccination groups to go to all homes, church buildings, markets, faculties, and communities alongside the worldwide border to make sure that all youngsters lower than 5 years outdated are vaccinated.”
Whereas international locations within the area (Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) are implementing the important thing actions within the Polio Eradication Strategic Plan 2022-2026, the efforts are being threatened by the importation of the WPV1 in Malawi and Mozambique and the circulating vaccine derived polioviruses in different international locations. Due to this fact, reaching and sustaining optimum routine immunization protection and high-quality vaccination coverages are key to interrupt the transmission of the continuing polio outbreak.
The Minister of Well being, Honorable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP mentioned along with the supplementary immunization, Malawi is intensifying routine immunization and surveillance.
“Despite the fact that our routine immunization indicators at nationwide degree are good, we’re persevering with to enhance entry and utilization of routine immunization companies to attain protection of not less than 90% for all antigens.”
Past vaccination, WHO and companions have labored to develop two forms of key surveillance interventions to detect potential future polio outbreaks on this area specifically: Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance and environmental surveillance. AFP surveillance goals to detect the bodily signs of polio, together with paralysis and mobility points, and environmental surveillance seeks to search out samples of human fecal waste and water containing traces of polio.
The circumstances detected in Malawi and Mozambique don’t alter Africa’s certification as free of untamed poliovirus – an achievement declared in 2020 – as a result of the virus pressure is just not indigenous. Laboratory evaluation linked the strains detected in Malawi and Mozambique to a pressure circulating in Pakistan’s Sindh Province in 2019.