Zimbabwe: VP Calls for Increased Vaccine Uptake

Conrad Mupesa — MASHONALAND West and Midlands provinces have recorded low vaccination uptake since the beginning of the exercise, with Health and Child Care Minister and Vice President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, calling for strategies to increase the uptake.

Speaking in Chinhoyi during a provincial Covid-19 taskforce meeting aimed at getting updates on successes and challenges, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi said despite the commitment by Government to avail vaccines free of charge, people remained sceptical about getting inoculated.

"The Vice President, who is also the Health and Child Care Minister, General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired) is concerned about low vaccine uptake," he said.

"Mashonaland West and Midlands remain the two provinces with low figures. Matabeleland North has quite good figures probably because President Mnangagwa got his first jab there.

"We need to come up with strategies that will help increase the vaccines uptake here in Mashonaland West."

Minister Ziyambi called on Government departments to focus on rural areas.

"Let us continue to spread the word, especially to the rural areas where complacency levels are still high," he said.

"The nation is faced with the third wave which threatens to decimate people.

"We also need to ensure that there are effective Chirundu and Kariba border controls to barricade the nation from the third wave."

Minister Ziyambi lauded the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for coming up with robust measures to protect children from the virus.

The provincial education sector has recorded only two cases in Mashonaland West, one of a teacher in Hurungwe district and a student at Kutama College in Zvimba.

The two asymptomatic cases were in self quarantine.

Provincial Covid-19 taskforce team chairperson and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, urged people to embrace the vaccination exercise.

"The President will never approve a vaccine that will end up putting our lives at risk," she said.

"As for me, I received my first jab two weeks ago and despite having underlying conditions like diabetes and hypertension, I am doing fine."

Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said people needed to take up the jab to enjoy the fruits of Vision 2030.

Acting provincial medical director Dr Gift Masoja said uptake of the vaccine within the targeted groups so far stood at 28 percent, although Hurungwe district had recorded 52 percent.

The meeting was attended by all Government departments' provincial heads.

This article originally appeared on The Herald

Photo: The Herald