Care Malawi implementing Covid -19 response in Dowa, Ntchisi

(Care Malawi Project Manager, Hezel Kantayeni: project will reduce further spread of coronavirus)

Care Malawi under the Southern African Nutrition Initiative [SANI] Project for Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia with funding from the Government of Canada will implement Covid -19 response activities in Dowa and Ntchisi districts.

The project is targeting areas of Traditional Authorities where SANI previously implemented, Kasakula and Kalumo in Ntchisi and Kayembe and Dzoole in Dowa.

Covid -19 response project will use the same structures they previously worked in health facilities and communities these include, Lead Farmers, Promoters and chiefs, among others, to ensure meeting the intended outcomes of reaching out to all in its catchment areas in Dowa and Ntchisi.

Briefing the Dowa Civil Protection Committee during a meeting held at the boma in Dowa, Project Manager, Haezel Kantayeni, said the project will be implemented in six months from July to December, 2020 targeting health facilities of Ntchisi district hospital, Kangolwa , Khuwi and Khuzi in Ntchisi while in Dowa, it will be at Kayembe, Chisepo, Mbingwa, Chizolowondo, Mponela and Dzoole .

Kantayeni said the project has a goal of reducing the further spread of Corona virus/ Covid -19 in its impacted areas where it was implementing SANI project which started in 20165 and ended in March, 2020 in the two districts, Ntchisi and Dowa.

She said the project will build the capacity of 42 health workers [ clinicians and nurses] in Prevention and Management of Covid -19, train 180 community based health workers [ HSAs], orient 270 Area Development Committees [ ADCs], Promoters, lead farmers, Health Centre management Committee, Village agents and chiefs on Covid -19 Prevention.

“The project will organize public awareness on Covid -19 through public address system using mobile van, disseminating Covid -19 awareness and prevention to 4,200 participants through phone push messages and print and distribute 120 posters, 300 leaflets on Corona virus, maternal infant young child feeding (MIYCF) and, Gender in the context of Covid -19,”Kantayeni said.

The manager said the project will procure and distribute hand washing stations with Mponda gear, buckets, basins, and hand washing soap, sanitisers among others for all 10 health centres and growth monitoring in the two districts, Dowa and Ntchisi.

District Commissioner for Dowa, Alex Mdooko, thanked Care Malawi for complementing government efforts on Covid -19 response in the district.

Mdooko asked Care Malawi to incorporate the youths in their activities saying they are in majority of the country’s population, hence no need to leave them behind for the sustainability of the project.

He pleaded with stakeholders printing Covid -19 materials such as posters and leaflets to use the local languages spoken by the communities other than English saying illiterate rate is very high among the rural communities in the district.