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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
DEVELOPMENT partners have ramped up the fight against surging cases of Covid-19, with the European Commission Humanitarian Organisation (ECHO) project reaching out to communities in three districts of Manicaland Province.
Action Contre la faim (ACF) in collaboration with Africa AHEAD (AA), with funding from European Commission Humanitarian Organisation (ECHO), is supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Covid-19 infection prevention, control and vaccine demand creation programmes in Manicaland, Bulawayo and Masvingo provinces.
In Manicaland, the interventions are being rolled out in Mutare, Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.
The ECHO project is primarily focused on special groups, namely persons living with disabilities, older persons and health care workers.
Among its key result areas, the ECHO project seeks to increase stakeholder and health worker knowledge on Covid-19, and this is being done through trainings of provincial and district leaders, health facility staff, community or village health workers, as well as local traditional and religious leaders.
Mr Agrippa Chingono, the programmes manager at Africa AHEAD, said: “The decision to be part of this intervention was informed by the need to complement and bolster countrywide Ministry of Health and Child Care programmes aimed at facilitating campaigns with specific emphasis on Covid-19 vaccine uptake among vulnerable groups to achieve herd immunity.
“Africa AHEAD and Action Contre La Faim have zeroed in on Manicaland, Masvingo and Bulawayo provinces, building on other existing projects within these intervention areas. We have other running projects in these areas,” he said.
The ECHO project also seeks to develop strategy to fight misinformation and disinformation as well as increase vaccine uptake.
There are ongoing efforts to design tailor-made messages to address common myths and misconceptions on Covid-19 vaccines.
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials are mainly shared via social media platforms, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and websites.
The ECHO project is also developing skits using local artistes and influencers to reinforce the need for communities to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
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