Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has launched a nationwide follow-up campaign to address the persistently low measles-rubella vaccine coverage since 2019.
Achieving 95 percent target is crucial for attaining herd immunity, the threshold at which disease transmission is effectively halted.
Recently, Provincial Medical Directors across all provinces were alerted to the growing number of children susceptible to measles by the Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr Aspect Maunganidze.
He warned that urgent action is necessary to prevent a repeat of the devastating 2022 outbreak.
Dr Maunganidze cited the persistent shortfall in measles-rubella vaccination coverage, with first and second doses (MR1 and MR2) remaining below the critical 95 percent threshold from 2019 to 2022, as the motivation behind the ministry’s nationwide Measles-Rubella Follow-Up Campaign, scheduled for the last quarter of the year.
“Previous follow-up measles campaigns in 2019 and 2022 fell short of the 95 percent target, resulting in an accumulation of children susceptible to measles. Furthermore, in 2023 and 2024, the country reported sporadic measles IgM positive cases. Against this backdrop, Zimbabwe will conduct a Measles-Rubella Follow-Up Campaign, integrated with routine immunisation and Vitamin A vaccination for due and overdue doses,” said Dr Maunganidze.
The primary objective of the nationwide MR campaign is to bridge measles immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks.
“Failing to achieve the 95 percent threshold compromises herd immunity, allowing measles to spread rapidly and claim lives, particularly among unvaccinated children under five,” he warned.
A 2023 zero-dose assessment revealed that 393 289 children across the country had not received a single dose of the measles-rubella vaccine.
The assessment identified 19 of the country’s 63 districts as having high numbers of unvaccinated children, increasing their risk of future outbreaks.
“The measles immunity profile indicates that the entire birth cohort will be susceptible to measles by December 31,” said Dr Maunganidze.
The campaign, scheduled for October, will target children aged 9-59 months with the Measles-Rubella vaccine, running concurrently with due and overdue routine immunisations and Vitamin A supplementation.
Vitamin A inclusion is crucial, as it reduces measles infection severity and mortality among children.
Dr Maunganidze said the campaign’s goal is to close measles immunity gaps, reduce outbreak risks, and ensure children are fully protected through routine immunisation services.
National teams will be deployed to support and oversee the campaign’s implementation at every level.
“National teams will support readiness assessment, campaign preparedness validation, administrative data verification, in-process training, monitoring, and report writing,” he said.
The Ministry’s integrated campaign strategy will also target children who have missed other routine vaccines.
Incorporating routine immunisation catch-ups alongside Measles-Rubella vaccination aims to restore continuity in primary healthcare services disrupted by previous health crises and logistical challenges.
Measles remains one of the most contagious diseases known to humanity.
Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, it continues to claim thousands of children’s lives globally each year, particularly in communities with poor immunisation coverage.
Mobilisation efforts are underway in various provinces, with awareness drives planned to ensure every eligible child is vaccinated during the five-day campaign.
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies measles as a significant health threat, especially in under-resourced regions like Africa, emphasising vaccination’s crucial role in preventing outbreaks and deaths.
While the WHO does not provide specific details on Zimbabwe’s or the SADC region’s measles situation, it consistently advocates for high vaccination coverage to achieve global measles elimination.
