As cholera outbreak is still devastating the lives of Malawians, Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) has donated various cholera response and prevention materials to Blantyre and Mangochi District Health Offices (DHOs).
The gesture has been made with funds from Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR) at a tune of more than K100 million under a six months project called Tithetse Cholera which YONECO is implementing in the two districts.
Materials donated include Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), lactate, High-test hypochlorite (HTH) powder, gumboots, cannulas, bin liners plastic sheets, plastic buckets and examination gloves among others.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at the Blantyre DHO, YONECO board member, Rosemary Wawaya, said it is very heartrending that the current cholera outbreak which started in March 2022 is still devastating the lives of Malawians to this day.
“This disease which is still rampant in our country and has caused much suffering and loss of life and as various health experts have already alluded to, this is the worst and deadliest outbreak in the known history of our country, Malawi,” she said.
She further said it is the belief of YONECO that there is need for all stakeholders in the country to remain vigilant in the fight against cholera and continue to support each other in this effort in order to protect communities against this deadly disease.
She has therefore urged authorities to ensure that the donated items should be put to proper use through transparent and accountable manner.
In her remarks after receiving the donation, Chief Medical Officer for Blantyre DHO, Dr. Miriam Nyasulu, commended YONECO for the timely donation to the district which has been greatly affected by the disease and cumulatively as of March 6, the district had registered 7, 246 cases were recorded.
She further said the district has completely run out of some needed items including ORS which YONECO has included in its package of donation.
In the two districts, Tithetse Cholera project is expected to directly benefit a total of 38, 480 people including school children, youths, women, elderly and people with disability while 21, 200 people will indirectly benefit through the broad-base social behaviour change and cholera prevention campaigns.
The project is being implemented in the area of T/A Machinjiri in Blantyre district and the areas of T/A Namavi and Chimwala in Mangochi district.
