Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga – [email protected]
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Child Care for the distribution of the latest temperature monitoring devices to health institutions across the country in a bid to help maintain vaccines before distribution to communities.
Recently, the first batch of officials from 15 health institutions received training in Kwekwe on how to handle and use the latest monitoring devices before receiving donations courtesy of IOM.
Chief Migration Health Officer, Dr Thomas Kalasani said the first beneficiaries were drawn from migration corridors.
“We are doing training of matrons and nurses in charge of about 15 health institutions drawn from mainly migration corridors like Chipinge, Beitbridge, and Chirundu among other places first. We will then donate the devices and monitor the effectiveness before we proceed to roll out the training and donations to other health institutions across the country,” he said.
Dr Kalasani said this was one of the many projects they are doing in partnership with the Government.
“As part of the IOM health department, we are doing a number of projects especially targeting refugee processing and migrant processing. We chose to support the government with these monitoring devices which will be very useful in ensuring that the community, particularly the children, do not get contaminated or outdated vaccines due to lack of proper storage,” he said.
He said the devices maintain the efficacy of the vaccines and can alert if the temperatures are no longer suitable.
“Vaccines have to be kept at a certain temperature and this device is very critical in maintaining these temperatures and the efficacy of the vaccines. The government of Zimbabwe has however been proactive in this regard but what we are only doing is giving them the latest devices,” said Dr Kalasani.
Migrants are given various vaccines depending on several factors including the country they are migrating to, their age, health status and the prevailing health risks in the destination countries.
The most common are polio, influenza, hepatitis, measles and tetanus among others.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter