Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) acting country director Verita Buie has advised healthcare workers to focus on research on emerging issues in public health.

Speaking during certificate presentations of 18 health care workers in Mzimba district who were involved in research work on public health emergencies, the country director for CDC Verita Buie said, it is very important to invest in research on emerging issues in public health because it helps health care workers to detect, tract and prevent them.

“The aim of this field research is to empower health service providers and develop their interest in conducting research on different public health emergencies in communities and we are more focused on prevention because it is better than cure. This is the reason we have been funding these research programmes since 2016 and this group is our 21st cohort.” She said

Meanwhile the Public Health Institute of Malawi deputy director responsible for research Evelyn Chisa Banda said they will ensure that the findings and recommendations of the research are taken into consideration.

However, Tiwonge Mwale, a nurse at Mzimba District Hospital, said she did an assessment of malaria surveillance data in under-five children at Chikangawa and Jenda health facilities and Mzimba district hospital between January and February 2024.

She said her assessment found out that malaria still remains a public health threat to under-five children in the district.