The Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme’s Communication and Public Engagement Department in collaboration with the PneumoCocoon study team, organised a sensitization meeting in Mdeka, Blantyre on 5 July 2023 to inform community members about the research conducted at MLW.

The campaign specifically focused on a Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) probe study, which aims to define the role of children under the age of five in the transmission of Streptococcus Pneumoniae within households in Blantyre District.

Notable attendees included Prof. Simeon Yates, Dr. Nicky Schofield, and Dr. Kate Jones  from the University of Liverpool, accompanied by Dr. Deborah Nyirenda, the Social Science Theme Co-Lead at MLW. Their presence at the event was to observe MLW’s community engagement practices and strengthen the relationship between MLW and the wider community.

The team intends to determine the effectiveness of the PCV13 13-cocooning strategy, targeting children under the age of five, in reducing the prevalence of VT carriage among unvaccinated six-week-old infants, among other objectives.

PnuemoCocoon Study Project Manager Farouck Bonomali encouraged the people to reach out to the research team or Mdeka health center for anything they would need to understand about the project.

The study is scheduled to run for two and a half years and aims to protect pregnant mothers, unborn babies, and infants under the age of five from Pneumonia. During the awareness campaign, the PneumoCocoon study team engaged with six village heads, community residents, and mother care groups. The activities included song compositions, drama performances, and dancing.