World Vision Malawi (WVM) has pledged to join government in eliminating malaria saying the increased cases of the disease is a major public health concern that needs collaborative efforts to contain.
Interim National Director for World Vision, Catherine Omenda said this on Tuesday during the launch a ‘Zero Malaria Starts With Me’ campaign at Liwonde in Machinga.
“We are supporting government strategies to eliminate malaria by supporting the provision of long lasting mosquito bed nets, clearing the environment especially stagnant water where mosquitoes breed and lastly, we are to support government in spraying mosquitoes with insecticides in the three pilot districts of Balaka, Nkhatabay and Mangochi,” she said.
Omenda added that the campaign gives WVM an opportunity to provide technical support to prevent malaria which threatens the lives of children and pregnant women.
She urged development partners to join the anti-malaria campaign to ensure zero malaria Malawi saying the aspirations requires various areas of technical and financial support.
WVM Interim Country Director described malaria as a pandemic saying it has so far killed more people than Covid- 19.
President, Lazarus Chakwera presided over the launch and presented gift of electrical solar gadgets to Group Village Head (GVH), Mwikala for the outstanding performance in Malaria control.
Mwikala said he was happy to receive a certificate of recognition for community based malaria control strategies which enabled his area to reduce malaria transmission and record no death in recent years.
“Now that the President has recognized my effort, I will double the efforts to fight so that we continue to reduce the number of malaria cases in our area,” he said while calling on fellow traditional leaders to formulate and enforce bylaws that should help in reducing malaria.
The GVH thanked Mwikala Community Health Action Group (CHAG) for its coordinating role that included encouraging people to sleep under insecticides treated bed nets, finding solutions to the root causes of malaria in the area.
According to Chairperson for Mwikala CHAG, Robert Sanigogo, cases of malaria have significantly been reduced in the area from 315 in 2013 to 31 this year.
-MANA-
