Bilharzia vaccination programme launched

via Bilharzia vaccination programme launched | The Herald January 20, 2015

Government has launched the third edition of the national Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for bilharzia and intestinal worms in a bid to stem the tide of the two “forgotten” tropical diseases still highly prevalent in 57 of the country’s 63 districts.Officially launching the programme at Munyarari Primary School in Manicaland yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said Government’s mandate was to eliminate bilharzia and intestinal worms as public health challenges.

“The implementation of the first five annual MDAs is to reduce transmission by ensuring that a critical number of infected members of each community has been treated,” Dr Parirenyatwa said.

“For any meaningful change in disease transmission, at least 80 percent of the targeted persons should swallow the medicines and this year we aim to reach this public health threshold since we have drawn lessons since the inaugural MDA.”

Dr Parirenyatwa said environmental improvements were crucial to interrupt the diseases’ transmission and reduce re-infection as drugs alone will not eliminate neglected tropical diseases.

He urged authorities responsible for water and sanitation provision to improve from the current low levels to at least 80 percent safe water and move quickly to achieve zero defecation target by building more blair toilets in rural areas.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora told the same gathering that his ministry was committed to the successful implementation of such programmes by retaining pupils at school.

“One of the concerns as a ministry is to increase access to education and reduce drop-out rates among pupils from (Early Childhood Development) ECD to A-Level,” he said.

“My ministry has, therefore, launched several initiatives to attract learners to school and ensure that they remain in the system.”

The targeted age group is between one and 15 years and from a student population of four million in Zimbabwe, the majority are between the ages of four and 15. The programme began in 2012, reaching only 27 percent of the targeted population and increased to 54 percent in 2013.

This year, the ministry is aiming at reaching at least 80 percent through the use of school-based approach as recommended by the World Health Organisation.