Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has urged every Malawian to take responsibility if the fight against cholera outbreak is to be won.
President Chakwera made the remarks on Monday 13th February, 2023 at Mgona Community Ground in the capital city of Lilongwe where he launched the cholera fight campaign, ‘Tithetse kolera M’malawi’.
In his speech, the Malawi leader said the purpose of the campaign is to bring together Malawians so that they should work together to stop the scourge of cholera that is spreading across the country at an alarming rate.
He said the scourge is robbing the nation of productive citizens and robbing families of their loved ones hence the need to come together and put a stop on the loss the country is registering due to outbreak.
Chakwera then called on every Malawian, companies and organisations to take a leading role that will see the killer disease being defeated saying cholera does not respect one’s gender, education, income, intelligence, or age.
“I am calling on the media to do their part in spreading these messages. I am calling on religious leaders to do their part in spreading these messages. I am calling on politicians to do their part in spreading these messages. I am calling on development partners to do their part in spreading these message.
“I am calling on parents and traditional leaders to do their part in spreading these messages. We need everyone in the country to be empowered with knowledge about how to stay safe. So let us all spread what the health authorities are saying, but most importantly, let us do it, because it may just save your life,” said Chakwera.
He further described the current situation where less than 60% of Malawians have a toilet as unacceptable claiming human beings are so much respected with toilets are with dignity and says peoples should not wait for government, donors or the heavens to give them a toilet.
Chakwera however, condemned the recent spate of attacks on health facilities saying communities are responsible for caring and protection of health facilities which government provides to save lives.
“I was deeply saddened when I received a report from the Honourable Minister of Health that in Balaka, Nandumbo area and here in Area 25, a few community members took the law into their hands and damaged Government Health facilities. You need to know that a Government Health facility is built with your taxes and it therefore belongs to you. Destroying it means destroying your own property, and destroying your own property means making yourself poor,” he added.
The Malawi leader says any attack on a health facility will be investigated and the culprits will be brought to justice, because it is not fair that a whole community should lose a life-saving health facility because of a few selfish individuals.
The president has also challenged the private sector to step up with resources to support government’s efforts to save lives saying the private sector is able to make money from people’s loyalty to their businesses, and he added that he will be sending people to directly engage the private sector.
In Malawi, 42,427 cases have been recorded since March this year and the disease has killed 1,384 people.
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