‘Raise awareness on emergency diseases’

Kasungu District Council health authorities have appealed to religious leaders to take a lead in disseminating information about health emergencies, including the newly declared mpox viral disease.

Through the health promotion committee, health authorities have been engaging stakeholders, including members of the clergy to raise awareness on various public health emergencies such as measles, Covid-19, cholera and mpox.

In an interview yesterday, Kasungu District Health Office health promotion officer Catherine Yoweli said religious leaders are key stakeholders in health promotion as they can help to reach out to many people with prevention messages.

She said: “We targeted them considering that they command respect and that they have a large following. That is an important aspect which we need to ride on to take messages to the people.

“The other issue is that some challenges we face in dealing with these health emergencies border on beliefs. So, if we empower religious leaders with correct information, we believe we can deal with these challenges.”

Kasungu registered five cases of measles between April and June this year and the district has been on high alert over the threat of marburg viral disease reported in Tanzania last year and cholera which devastated neighbouring districts in Zambia.

Yoweli said there is need to prepare, adding that despite the district having no mpox case which the World Health Organisation has declared a public health emergency.

On his part, Sheikh Hamdan Umari said religious leaders have a big role to play in raising awareness about health issues.

“We have a responsibility to take part in promoting the health status of our people,” he said.

Umari condemned religious leaders who prohibit their followers from getting immunisation.

Malawi has been battling health emergencies such as Covid-19 and cholera and now faces the threat of mpox.