PRIME MINISTER Morgan Tsvangirai is set to engage Apostolic Faith sect leaders in a bid to convince the church to participate in the forthcoming national vaccination campaign.
The planned immunisation campaign against major child-killer diseases comes at a time cases of measles continue to increase around the country with members of the sect, which is opposed to vaccination, among the worst affected.
Pauline Munyaradzi, Harare’s assistant director of health said: “Since September 2009, we have now recorded 1,434 cases of measles around Harare alone and we are admitting more people at Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital.
“We understand that the Prime Minister will soon meet various Apostolic sect leaders to raise awareness amongst mothers about the importance of immunisation.”
The first cases of measles were recorded in Manicaland province last September with 22 Apostolic sect members dying of the disease.
Munyaradzi added: “We have a national immunisation programme kicking off on May 25 until June 2 and our awareness campaign involves all stakeholders. We urge all mothers with children aged between six months and 15 years to bring them for immunisation even if they have been vaccinated before.”
She added that typhoid was now under control in the capital where the number of cases reported had now reached 460 with nine people admitted to hospital in the past week.