Malawi on Monday kicked off a vaccination campaign targeting more than 9 million children against life-threatening diseases.
The one-week drive will deliver vaccines against typhoid fever, measles, rubella and polio as the southern African country seeks to prevent a health crisis after deadly Cyclone Freddy.
The cyclone was one of the deadliest in the continent in recent times, killing more than 10,000 people and displacing tens of thousands, according to the presidency.
"With outbreaks of typhoid and the rise of anti-microbial resistant strains, primary prevention through vaccination is a game-changer.” said Mike Chisema from Malawi's health ministry.
Children will also be offered a vitamin A supplement in the vaccination drive, health partners said in a statement.
"Malawi has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the aftermath of a devastating cyclone," said Thabani Maphosa, managing director of country programme delivery at global vaccine alliance GAVI.
"Not only is it introducing a new vaccine, which is never an easy task, it becomes one of the first countries in the world to make the lifesaving typhoid conjugate vaccine routinely available to children," he added.
The campaign had already been planned before the storm, but is especially critical in its aftermath since destruction and displacement can increase the risk of diseases, they said.
