Mokhotlong April 29-- Mokhotlong district joined the country and the international community in celebrating the Africa Vaccination Week which commenced on Monday.

According to the District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr. Mosa Tlahali, the purpose is to strengthen the expanded programme for immunisation, increase awareness on the importance of every person's right, need and responsibility to be protected from vaccine preventable diseases especially women and children.

She said during the week, the department of health will embark on a comprehensive vaccination outreach, COVID-19 included to close the gap in community immunisation coverage in the district and the country as a whole.

Dr. Tlahali further said the activity needs a robust stakeholder engagement and therefore requested all chiefs and schools to compile lists of children who missed their routine vaccinations in collaboration with the Village Health Workers who will ensure the lists reach the health centres to facilitate the immunisation coverage gap closure in the community.

She appealed to the community to reach the health centres to make the vaccination week a success.

The DMO explained that the Risk Communications and Community Engagement (RCCE) team has empowered communities through mobilisation activities in communities and institutions last week.

The Africa Vaccination Week is marked annually in the last week of April and the slogan for this year is “Vaccinated communities, Healthy communities”.