By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza

Faith leaders in the country have been urged to play a leading role in sensitizing their followers to have health seeking behaviours towards elimination of various diseases.

Director of health services for the Evengelical Association of Malawi (EAM) Howald Kasiya made the appeal in Blantyre during sensitization meeting organised to sensitize the religious leaders on health related campaigns.

Kasiya said religious leaders are influential people in society; hence, asking them to help in sensitizing communities.

“Faith leaders can play a crucial role in encouraging their followers during worshiping services to allow their members vaccinate against covid-19, cholera, sexual reproductive health and other health related issues,” he said
Among others, Kasiya urged the church’s congregation to disregard myths and misconceptions associated with various vaccines.

He said his organization wanted the faith leaders to have skills in disseminating the correct information and encouraging the congregations to seek health related information.

“Today, we have so many churches so some people are getting wrong information regarding some health issues. This is why we want faith leaders to have knowledge about them,” he said.

According to Kasiya, the sensitization meeting targeted faith leaders from Blantyre and Thyolo districts as some districts that performs poorly in health seeking behaviours.

In a separate interview, Ras Thomas Chavula of the Nyabinghi dynasty said they will use the congregational model approach to mobilise people to allow their members go for vaccination.

“We are influencial figures in our societies and we can be ambassadors of the right information about the vaccination campaign to our followers. We have learnt various topics that would help us to sensitize and give correct information to our congregation,” he said.

Project officer for Blantyre synod Heath commission responsible for Blantyre and Thyolo districts, Thoko Banda, encouraged the participants to practice what they learnt so as to bring about change.

The sensitization meeting was organised under zatonse project which is being funded by KFW GIZ as well as DCA-NCA.