• Path provides mosquito nets

Authorities say there is a surge in malaria cases in areas that have recently been hit by Tropical Cyclone Freddy (TCF).

This has being attributed to lack of mosquito nets in camps sheltering TCF survivors and stagnant waters in their surroundings.

Deputy Director for Preventive Health Services in the Ministry of Ministry Health Responsible for Malaria, Dr. Lumbani Munthali says: “In terms of the data, we do our analysis through an electronic system called Demographic Health Promotion System which is indicating that the malaria cases are rising but we are yet to analyse specific figures in these camps.”

Dr. Munthali was speaking in Nsanje when a humanitarian organisation, PATH donated over 4,000 mosquito nets to the district’s council to be distributed in TCF camps.

The district has 86 camps housing 41,000 households. 

Dr. Earnest Muyunda, Hub Leader Southern Africa and Country Director- PATH Zambia said the donation is in line with their intervention aimed at eradicating malaria in Malawi.

"We are an organisation that works mostly on issues related to health including, so we thought it wise to intervene by donating the nets.

"We know most people living in camps completely lost everything including Mosquito nets and this puts the vulnerable group like pregnant women and children at risk of suffering from malaria," said Dr. Muyunda.

PATH got US$20,000 from various foundations including the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

In his remarks, District Commissioner for Nsanje district, Dominic Mwandira said since the onset of TCF, there have been numerous challenges that people are exposed to hence creating a need for food and non-food assistance.

He thanked PATH for coming to their rescue as people including pregnant women were at risk of contracting malaria.

Chairperson from one of the camps, Nthole CBCC, Charles Bishop also thanked PATH for the donation but asked for more support from state and non-state actors as people are lacking food among other things at the camp.