Faith and Vaccines: A Divine Intersection of Hope in Chitwi Community

In Chitwi Community, a transformative encounter between faith and healthcare has opened doors for immunisation services. Patrick Chambala, a dedicated Community-Based Volunteer (CBV) under the Full Portfolio Planning (FPP) initiative, successfully traced and vaccinated five zero-dose children from a single household belonging to a member of Johane Marange Apostolic Church, known for its strict adherence to faith healing and spiritual practices.

Matthew Zimba one of the leaders of the Apostolic Church

The success in getting the children vaccinated didn’t come easy for Patrick because he, faced significant resistance from the community. “Members of the community whispered to me about a family avoiding vaccinations due to religious doctrines,” recounted Chambala. When he first approached Mathews Zimba, the household head and prominent church leader, he was repeatedly turned away. Zimba feared defying the church’s doctrine and risking excommunication.

Undeterred, Patrick strategically shifted his approach, persistently visiting and counselling Zimba’s wives and sister-in-law, who were more receptive but unable to independently decide on vaccination. Through consistent engagement, he gradually built trust and understanding with Mr. Zimba himself.

Patrick is a Community-Based Volunteer at Kapenda Health Post in rural Luanshya

Eventually, Patrick’s efforts bore fruit. Zimba consented to the vaccination of five children under      his care —Gladys (4), Agness and Luke (2), Anna (1 year and 9 months), and Abraham (3 months). Reflecting on his decision, Zimba explained: “Our church strongly believes in healing through prayer and the Holy Spirit, rejecting conventional medical treatments. We rely solely on spiritual means for healing, believing illness to be spiritual impurity.”

However, Zimba acknowledged a nuanced understanding. “Currently, the children and family are not attending church regularly, which makes them vulnerable to diseases. While our belief holds that spiritual healing overrides medical treatments, I recognize the effectiveness and necessity of conventional medicine during our absence from church,” he admitted. He optimistically added that once they resume regular church attendance, he believes spiritual interventions could negate any perceived spiritual risks from vaccinations.

Ruth Zimba, Mathews’ sister-in-law and mother to Agness, highlighted the deeply rooted traditions of the church, including home births without professional medical assistance. “Women in our church usually deliver at home, guided by church midwives and traditional practices. All my five children were born at home and remained unimmunised because of our faith,” she explained.

Despite these entrenched beliefs, Patrick’s persistent counselling and community engagement represent a beacon of hope.

 According to local health officials, the success at Zimba’s compound has significant implications. They emphasised, “With continuous dialogue and targeted sensitisation, attitudes towards conventional medicine are gradually changing among deep rooted religious communities. We are confident that the collaborative efforts of CHAZ, the Ministry of Health, and local partners such as ECR will yield further breakthroughs, ensuring more children in communities like Chitwi are fully immunised.”

This success story exemplifies the delicate, yet powerful intersection of faith, culture, and public health, demonstrating the profound impact of community-level advocacy and perseverance.