The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE media has been encouraged to continue information dissemination on Covid-19 vaccination as they are a key stakeholder that can propel conversations about the Government initiative in a bid to increase uptake.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, about 57 percent of the eligible population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. However, of recent the country has been recording an increase in new cases, with health officials emphasizing the need for more people to opt for vaccination to prevent severe cases and deaths.
Speaking to media practitioners last week, Action Against Hunger Health advisor Mr Prosper Nyabani, said they were keen on capacitating the media to ensure that they keep reporting on Covid-19.
“We have brought in the media fraternity to train and capacitate them and this is a sure sign that we need such stakeholders to spread the message of vaccination as we cannot do it ourselves. Hence, we decided to have the media on board so that they know the work we are doing which is basically a project that seeks to increase the Covid-19 vaccine uptake,” said Mr Nyabani.
The organisation which started operating in Zimbabwe in 2002 has increased commitment in to also ensure citizens are food secure and their livelihoods are improved.
“The two most fundamental objectives of engaging the media are to increase stakeholder knowledge on Covid-19 vaccines. The greater part of these stakeholders are health workers mainly, persons with disability, the elderly and their leaders. These leaders include traditional leaders, faith-based leaders and leaders of various organisations. We have administrative leaders too at provincial and district level. We want those people to have more information.”
He said in the context of Covid-19, the media is expected to continue to educate the population on Covid-19 vaccination as the virus was still in the communities.
“It also important for people to know where they can access information about Covid-19 vaccination within their reach. If you want the youths to take up the vaccine we need to know where we can catch them, especially on the platforms that they frequent, especially on social media. When the virus started to go down in Zimbabwe, priorities also shifted elsewhere and now the media has to find creative ways of sending the vaccination message through,” he said.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is pushing Covid-19 vaccination campaigns to artisanal miners through door-to-door outreach campaigns being held under the ongoing vaccination intensification blitz. Aimed at ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against the pandemic, the blitz which started on 2 May is also targeting children aged 12 and above. -@NyembeziMu
