Malawi: Government Launches 2023 Supplementary Immunization Campaign


Government on Thursday launched the 2023 Supplementary Immunization Campaign, describing it as the most cost effective and sure way of preventing vaccine preventable diseases in children.

Secretary for health, Dr Samson Mndolo, was speaking during the official launch of 2023 Supplementary Immunization Campaign held at Mtaya School Ground in Balaka.

The campaign which targets under-five children will run for seven days from 15th to 21st May, 2023 with vaccines delivered in all health facilities across the country.

Mndolo said the government through the Ministry of Health is committed to ensuring that infants, toddlers and of course children in general are protected from life threatening and disability causing illnesses.

“It is important that we work together to address these gaps and avoid catastrophic diseases. We must safeguard our health no matter the circumstances,” he said.

He added that children are supposed to be vaccinated against different diseases and not just once but even several times in their lifetime.

Diseases like measles, polio, typhoid and diseases caused by Vitamin A deficiency are among diseases that are disabling and life-threatening, adding that Imagine a situation where we are not doing anything to prevent these diseases – the end result would be health facilities full of patients, he observed.

However, measles-rubella and polio vaccinations are targeting children who are nine months up to 59months while the Typhoid Conjugate vaccines are targeting children 9months to 14years of age.