THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has praised Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 management and response strategy.
This came out when the UNICEF Global Director Health, Dr Aboubacar Kampo paid a courtesy call on Acting President General Retired Dr Constantino Chiwenga this Monday.
Dr Aboubacar Kampo, who was accompanied by other UNICEF representatives from New York and the organisation’s country representative for Zimbabwe, Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, only had good words to say about Zimbabwe’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are conducting a visit from New York to learn about the good things on how Zimbabwe has been copying with the pandemic, What has been done so far, We have been enlightened about the financing from the government. We heard that the health sector is getting 13% from the budget which is 2%shy from the budget which is really commendable. Was also impressed on how the country has managed to Integrate with other diseases like cancer besides the heavy burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a responsibility to covid but to do this with the heavy COVID-19 burden is commendable. We have isolation centres across the country. This is really good,” said Dr Kampo.
Acting President General Retired Dr Chiwenga reaffirmed government’s commitment towards a healthy nation.
“We commend UNICEF for its continued support to the country and as a country we are working hard in fighting this virus. For without controlling the pandemic then vision 30 cannot be achieved,” said Dr Chiwenga.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Health and Child Care, Professor Amon Murwira has revealed that the 16 and 17 age group can now be vaccinated.
“The ministry wishes to advise the public that COVID-19 Vaccination of the 16 to 17 years age group has been approved.
All the provinces secondary schools, colleges and universities and Vaccination centres are required to commence the Vaccination campaign of this age group,” he announced.
With 3 310 000 people having received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and two million 595 thousand 159 people fully vaccinated, the programme has reached a national coverage of 38% of the targeted population.
ZBC