Friday, March 29, 2024

COVID-19 vaccination response gratifying – Chanda

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Minister of Health Jonas Chanda says government is gratified with the positive response by Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, civic and professional leaders getting vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.

And the cumulative number of vaccinated persons since the Zambia Covid-19 vaccination program was launched stands at 3,391.

Dr Chanda says it is gratifying to see a positive response to the COVID-19 vaccination by our honourbale members of parliament , Cabinate ministers and other Civic and professional leaders.

“ This morning Hon Lawrence Sichalwe,Minister for Chiefs and Traditional Affairs and MP for Chawama Constituency, Honourable Mathew Nkhuwa Minister for Energy and MP for Chingola and Honurable Nixon Chilangwa , Luapula province minister and MP for Kawambwa, all voluntarily got vaccinated against COVID-19, “ He said.

Out of those vaccinated, 40 percent are female and the majority 74 percent are below 60 years of age with 15 percent health workers, 6 percent civic leaders and a further 3 percent being teachers.

The minister has announced that the majority Districts across the country have now received the vaccine and other medical supplies to launch the vaccine program across the ten provinces.

He said his ministry has engaged the technical teams responsible for the vaccination and indeed the COVID-19 response in general to reach out to all the communities.

“We wish to guide the public that Cabinet approved Covid-19 Vaccination program indicates that under Pillar 1 consisting of the COVAX facility which is intended to vaccinate 20% of the eligible adult population the initial consignment of 228.000 COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine doses are firstly targeted at “priority groups” who are most-at-risk with COVID-19.

“ These include healthcare workers, those performing core societal functions such as teachers, security personnel, immigration, mobile populations (cross-border truck drivers, traders, drivers/conductors of public service vehicles, marketeers), traditional leaders, the Clergy, and the elderly above 65 years of age and/or those with underlying chronic medical conditions”, he said.

He explained that his ministry will follow a pragmatic approach to ensure that vaccines do not go to wastage by letting them vaccines expire if priority groups do not consume.

The Health said the country has continued to record a reduction in the number of COVID-19.

He said during the past 24 hours a total of 100 new cases out of 6204 tests conducted.

Central Province recorded 6 cases, Copperbelt 2, Eastern 32, Luapula 6, Lusaka15, Muchinga 2, Northern 20, North-Western 9, Southern 4 “, he said.

The districts that reported significant cases are; Chipata (16), Lupososhi (11), Lusaka (8), Nyimba (7), Solwezi (6), Nchelenge (5) and Chinsali (4); two (2) districts reported 3 cases each, eleven (11) districts reported 2 cases each and fifteen (15) districts reported 1 case each.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded to date stands at 91,043.

The country has not recorded any COVID-19 death during the last 24 hours.

Fourty discharges have been recorded from both the COVID-19 centres and home management bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 88,900.

Dr. Chanda revealed that there are currently 43 cases admitted to Covid-19 isolation facilities nationally, 35 admitted on oxygen and 7 in critical condition.

Meanwhile the minister has revealed that his ministry is also running phase one of the Cholera vaccination program in high-risk areas around the country.

He said so far conducted rounds in Kabwe, Nsama, Shibuyunji and Nchelenge District with over 90 percent of the target populations reached out.

This is according to a press statement issued to ZANIS by ministry of Health in Lusaka today.

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