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Herald Reporter
A more vibrant and mobilisation door-to-door intervention towards vaccination is required as Zimbabwe is not yet out of the woods regarding combating and containing the spread of Covid-19, Chegutu district medical officer (DMO) has said.
In an interview during a media tour of project sites Chegutu DMO Dr Tonderai Nhende “The recent declaration by the World Health Organisation was more of a technical statement. We are not yet out of the woods. It is winter time and the Covid-19 virus is more active and easier to transmit. We encourage the public to get vaccinated, wear face masks and practice good hygiene to prevent Covid-19 from spreading.”
Dr Nhende said it was paramount that Covid-19 transmission was mitigated at all costs to prevent straining the public health systems.
“In as much as cases have gone down, we are not yet safe, we have things to do so that we prevent transmission. Chegutu district was at 40 percent vaccination coverage but I am glad to say through the door to door campaign, we are now at 66 percent.
“We surely will soon reach the 70 percent herd immunity coverage,” he said.
While the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global public health emergency, local experts have warned the public to remain vigilant.
Last month WHO released statistics showing that globally 6,86 million people had died after contracting the respiratory virus since its outbreak three years ago.
The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care with support from Africa CDC Saving Lives and Livelihoods in partnership with MasterCard Foundation are mobilising communities in Mashonaland West and Midlands provinces for Covid-19 vaccine demand and uptake activities.
“This programme seeks to understand the beliefs, fears, rumours, questions, and suggestions circulating in communities about the Covid-19, including the vaccine and use this to inform the response,” said ZRCS secretary-general Mr Elias Hwenga.
“We also want to reduce community fear, stigma, and misinformation, including on the vaccine as well as building trust in the response and the health advice shared, including on the vaccine.”
Mr Hwenga said the programme will also help communities share timely, accurate information about Covid-19, and the vaccine, through most trusted channels.
Online Reporter