Journalists urged to triple coverage on cholera pandemic in Malawi

Co-chairperson of the President Taskforce on Covid-19 and Cholera, Dr. Wilfred Chalamira Nkhoma, has appealed to journalists to triple their efforts in disseminating information on the two pandemics.

Nkhoma made the appeal in Salima on the sidelines of a day-long media orientation for journalists from the five highly affected districts of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Salima, Mangochi and Ntcheu.

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The orientation took place at Kambiri Beach Resort in Salima on Friday last week.

Since February 2022, Malawi has been experiencing cholera outbreak, which lead to loss of many lives and over 53, 000 people being affected as of March 14, 2023.

Dr. Nkhoma said it is in this view that, with financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Cholera, decided to interface with journalists from districts that have been highly affected by the disease.

“This interface meeting is very important particularly when we are calling upon everyone in this country to take part in the fight that was launched by the Head of State. And we realize that the media are represented across the country. And there are also various types of media outlets. And so this partnership with the media sets the foundation for us to educate the masses on the need to tackle the disease,” he said.

Dr. Nkhoma added that the role of media is crucially needed now that the country has been hit by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which has forced dozens of Malawians into evacuation camps where risk of infection is high.

He advised the campers to adhere to sanitation and hygiene practices to prevent the outbreak.

In her remarks, WHO Technical Officer responsible for Social Determinants of Health, Aminata Grace Kobie described the media as a ‘very good partner in terms of building water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives in the community’.

Kobie therefore asked journalists to report with accuracy to avoid misleading the masses.