ELCM petitions govt on malaria fight
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi (ELCM) has petitioned government to roll out rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in all village health clinics in the country if deaths resulting from malaria are to be prevented.
Speaking during a press briefing to celebrate malaria month yesterday in Lilongwe, ELCM head Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe said as the world is commemorating the 2014 World Malaria Day, ELCM would like to bring to the attention of government some challenges affecting community-based case management of malaria in village clinics.
Bvumbwe said through the malaria programme, which his church is implementing along the lake, they have identified some challenges which limit the extent to which prompt malaria diagnosis and treatment could be achieved.
“Government has not yet rolled out RDTs in the village clinics because, health surveillance assistants (HSAs), who are in charge of these clinics, have not yet been trained by government,” said Bvumbwe.
He said another challenge deterring malaria fight is lack of village clinics in some hard to reach areas as some communities still travel long distances to access health facilities.
ELCM in partnership with their sister church in America, are implementing the malaria project in the Lakeshore Deanery covering Salima, Nkhotakota, Mangochi, Mzuzu, Nkhata Bay and Zomba targeting 12 000 households, according to ELCM malaria programme coordinator Judith Jere.
“We aim to improve the health sector and socio-economic status of the affected through institutional capacity building,” said Jere.
