Mozambique: Polio vaccination surpasses target

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Mozambique: Polio vaccination surpasses target

3:00 CAT | 01 Apr 2022

File photo: UNICEF Mozambique

The Mozambican Health Ministry on Wednesday announced that it has surpassed the target set for vaccinating children under the age of five against polio.

The target for the first phase of the campaign, in the northern provinces of Niassa, Nampula and Cabo Delgado, and in the central provinces of Zambezia, Tete, Manica and Sofala was to reach 4.2 million children in a four day period (24 to 27 March).

Announcing the results of the first round of the campaign at a Maputo press conference, the National Director of Public Health, Quinhas Fernandes, said that 4,833,352 children under the age of five had been vaccinated.

He said that all seven provinces had surpassed their targets, with coverage rates varying between 107 and 117 per cent. The greatest success was in Tete where the target was 496,924, but 580,980 children were vaccinated.

“These results show that the first round of the campaign was very successful and surpassed our expectations”, said Fernandes.

The first round involved 46,000 people – vaccination staff, supervisors, coordinators, mobilisers, independent monitors, drivers and other logistical personnel. The cost was 3.4 million US dollars.

Fernandes recognized in particular the efforts made by the vaccination brigades in Nampula and Zambezia who had to cope with the enormous difficulties caused by Cyclone Gombe, and the flooding of major river valleys that came in its wake.

He praised the parents and guardians in the target provinces “not only because you recognised the importance of vaccinating your children, but also because you took your children to the vaccination posts, or opened the doors of your houses to allow our brigades to carry out this activity”.

The Ministry launched the campaign because one case of polio was detected in Malawi on 17 February, and two cases were detected in northern Mozambique (in Cabo Delgado and Nampula).

The Ministry says that the second round will also target the northern and central regions. The date for this round, and the target group, will be announced in the near future.

#Moçambique ultrapassou meta de vacinação contra a pólio durante a 1a ronda que decorreu de 24 a 27 de Março.

De 4,228,282 crianças de 0-59 meses previstas para vacinar, o @SaudeMisau alcançou 4,833,352 crianças de 0 a 59 meses.#EndPolio pic.twitter.com/lKAH7SQhQd

— UNICEF Moçambique (@UNICEF_Moz) March 31, 2022