By Chisomo Phiri
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund(
UNICEF) and
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) findings have rated Machinga as Malawi’s Best Performing district in Covid-19 vaccine uptake with 75 percent.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting in Machinga on Tuesday, the district hospital’s Chief Preventive and Health Officer, Alfred Phiri described the achievement as a milestone.
Phiri attributed the success story to traditional leaders’ efforts during the Covid-19 vaccine uptake campaigns.
He then challenged authorities in the district to put an extra gear in order to achieve 100 percent Covid-19 vaccine uptake.
On his part, Traditional Authority(T/A) Mizinga, who was named as the best T/A during the meeting, said the achievement was due to good coordination between chiefs, the district hospital, district council and the youth.
Malawi declared a state of national disaster due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 20, 2020 and registered its first confirmed coronavirus case on April 2, 2020.
Cumulatively, Machinga district recorded 1025 Covid-19 cases and 45 deaths.