The government of Malawi and the World Health Organization have initiated a fresh COVID-19 immunization drive in 10 out of 29 districts in the country on Monday. This is partly due to the increase in new cases reported in multiple districts over the past three weeks.

As of this year, Nsanje District in the southern region of Malawi has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

According to George Mbotwa, the representative for the health office in the district, there have been 17 newly reported cases in the last three weeks, some of which involve healthcare professionals.

“Originally, there were two cases, but we eventually had a total of eight cases among health workers,” he stated. “Some of them have since tested negative, while others are still being monitored to ensure their full recovery before returning to work.”

As of Monday, Malawi has reported a total of 89,202 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,686 deaths since the initial cases were confirmed in April 2020.

The Ministry of Health in Malawi has announced a new vaccination campaign aimed at increasing the number of individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. In certain regions of Malawi, the current vaccination rates are as low as 40%.

The article also mentions that the campaign, funded by the WHO, would prevent the vaccine from going to waste, as happened in 2020 when the government had to dispose of almost 20,000 expired AstraZeneca doses.

A significant number of the vaccine doses went unused because people were hesitant to receive it due to worries about its effectiveness and safety.

But, the hesitancy towards COVID-19 shots has been overcome thanks to recent public health campaigns by the government emphasizing their importance.

Mary Chawinga, a resident of Machinjiri Township in Blantyre and a mother of two, stated that she has received the vaccine and is now waiting for a booster.

Chawinga stated, “I am prepared to bring my children with me, as they say prevention is more effective than a cure.” She expressed concern about the unpredictable nature of the current wave, especially in comparison to the previous ones in 2020 and 2021.

Habeeba Nyasulu, a mother of two, shared that she participated in the initial COVID-19 vaccination campaign and urges others to do the same.

She stated, “I understand that our safety is not guaranteed until everyone is protected. Therefore, let us ensure that others also have access to the vaccine. While it may not prevent infection, it can greatly reduce the severity of illness if we do get sick.”

Maziko Matemba, a health ambassador in Malawi, stated that the threat of COVID-19 is still prevalent in the country.

According to Matemba, Malawi did not meet the necessary vaccination quota for COVID-19 due to a target population of approximately 11 million Malawians. However, only about 2-3 million Malawians were able to receive the vaccine, which is less than half of the target population.

Matemba stated that it is crucial for the country to distribute the vaccine in appropriate locations and promote vaccination among a larger population.

The Ministry of Health has announced a new campaign that focuses on 10 out of the 29 health districts in the country. These districts have recently reported new cases and include Machinga, Blantyre, Dowa, Mzimba, and Nsanje.