EFZ , MoHCc Capacitate Communities on Covid 19 Vaccination Exercise

By Tinaani Nyabereka.

The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denomination (ZHOCD) under the program ‘Stregthening the role of promoting social cohesion and civic participation’ being led by Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe engaged the Gweru community, on the covid 19 vaccination program workshop under efforts to equip communities with knowledge.

Speaking during the engagement meeting with Gweru residents recently, Ministry of Health Provincial Health Promotion officer, Ishmael Mavhenyengwa said as a Ministry they were working with various stakeholders in raising awareness on the Covid 19 pandemic.

“The covid 19 pandemic is transmitted by both droplets and contact that is why we emhapsize mainly on proper wearing of masks, covering you mouth and nose as well as washing and sanitizing of hands regularly.

“This is because Covid-19 is a respiratory disease, when a lockdown is being issued a lot of factors are looked at as each and everyday the provinces work with government in monitoring cases through situational reports and these reports are also used by the World Health Organisation(WHO).

“Vaccination, it has so far become the only way to prevent the spread of the disease and the problem we had is that people were misinformed on the vaccine, it is safe and the only way for us to prevent the rapid surge of the disease.” added Mavhenyengwa.

Ministry continues with awareness programs to also reach out to the rural population.

“We are also putting in place strategies to disseminate information even to the grassroots levels because we want people to know the importance of being vaccinated. Usually we encourage that if you get your first jab ,you must then go and get your second jab so that your immunity system is capacitated enough to fight the disease within your system.

Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, (EFZ) Gweru District Chairperson, Pastor Alfred Hove said, it was important for people to be well vested with the knowledge regarding the Covid-19 vaccination program as social media had raised a lot of misconceptionon the subject.

“We are happy as we managed to get information from the Ministry itself. it then gives the church and community confidence if they are equiped like this. Let’s also complement government’s efforts by informing people with correct information on vaccination program.” said Hove.

Meanwhile the Acting Provincial Medical Director, Dr Reginald Mhene confirmed that the program was going well despite poor network challenges which were affecting data collection in some areas.