Stories from the field: How vaccines can help to prevent antibiotic resistance – Zimbabwe’s response to drug-resistant outbreaks of typhoid and cholera

“To fight antibiotic resistance, we must use all the tools in the box. There is no single magic bullet, but vaccines are one of those tools” says Dr W Nyamayaro, Chair of the AMR Core-Group. “Vaccines are an effective tool to decrease the number of infectious diseases. They directly reduce the need for widespreadantibiotic use and thus prevent the emergence of resistance to antibiotics. We have a great One Health AMR team, which can lead the way out of this crisis – if we all work together”.

“The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine is a significant step towards addressing the high rates of typhoid in children in Zimbabwe, and the Zimbabwean government deserves credit for successfully incorporating it into its routine immunization programme,” says Dr Alex Gasasira, WHO Representative to Zimbabwe. “We are proud to be able to support them in their efforts.” Dr Gasasira also noted that Zimbabwe’s introduction of the TCV through an integrated campaign realized the strategic priorities of the Immunization Agenda 2030, launched in 2020 by WHO, UNICEF and Gavi.