Ministry of Health environmental health officer Wiseman Chimwaza says the first phase of cholera vaccination campaign has been successful.

The phase, which targeted 1.9 million people in eight districts in the Southern Region, ended on Friday.

Malawi Broadcasting Corporation journalist Chikondi Phikiso receives her
dose during the launch of the campaign

The administration of oral cholera vaccine was to supplement the core cholera prevention and control interventions.

However, when asked whether the ministry has reached its target, Chimwaza said they are still compiling data.

He said: “The exercise went on well. There were no vaccine shortfalls in all targeted districts.

“We registered no gaps but still we need more funding to carry on with the second campaign planned in two weeks.”

The ministry targeted to vaccinate 64 218 people in Mulanje, 280 000 in Nsanje, 308 000 in Chikwawa 196 019 in Phalombe, 800 000 in Blantyre and 89 000 in Mangochi while Balaka and Machinga had targets of of 53 712 and 63 000, respectively.

In an interview on Sunday, Chikwawa district director of health and social services Dr Stalin Zinkanda said as of Saturday, they had vaccinated 94.5 percent of the targeted population.

“We still have the vaccines in stock and we will continue to vaccinate people and hopefully we will beat the target,” he said.

Zinkanda cited transportation challenges and poor awareness of the vaccine among the people as some of the hurdles they faced.

As of on Sunday, the country had cumulatively recorded 485 cases, including 22 deaths.

In its epidemiological report for Week 20 covering May 16 to 22 2022, the ministry indicated that 25 percent of 367 cumulative cases were people aged between 15 and 24 followed by those aged between five to 14.

From 367 cases, 179 were females representing 49 percent and 188 were males representing 51 percent.

According to the ministry, the risk factors contributing to the rise in cases are poor food hygiene, contact with a cholera case, and importation of cases from Mozambique.

To control further spread of the pandemic, the ministry has intensified surveillance, mobilisation and distribution of cholera supplies in hotspots.

The vaccination campaign targeted all adults in the eight districts and children from one-year-old.

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