Mchinji district assistant tuberculosis (TB) officer Alex Mphalasa has commended Paradiso TB Patient Trust volunteers for their contribution towards the fight against the disease in the district.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, he said the volunteers have helped to increase the number of patients who seek treatment.
van. | Annie Banda
“The group directed 35 cases to hospital in 2023 and 19 in 2024, which is commendable,” said Mphalasa.
He commended government for a mobile van, which is now helping the hospital to disseminate TB-related information.
“We now have a mobile van which makes the fight against TB easier. We are now travelling across the district to create awareness on TB,” said Mphalasa.
In a separate interview, Paradiso TB Patients Trust secretary Treazer Mussa said the group was formed by TB survivors.
“Every Monday, the group conducts sensitisation initiatives to people at Mchinji District Hospital in different wards, including outpatient department, paediatric department, maternity, female and male wards as well to visitors,” she said.
In random interviews, residents around Mchinji Boma have since welcomed the TB messages shared through loud speakers mounted on a mobile van.
Jimmy Potani, a vendor from Traditional Authority Zulu, said it was important for people to get tested for TB to get treatment.
“TB is an airborne disease. We need to follow personal hygiene and patronise hospitals when we feel its symptoms,” he said.
Malawi is actively working towards ending TB by 2030, aligning with the global United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. The country has shown progress in reducing TB by 40 percent since 2015
