Faith Leaders Urged to Play Leading Role in Sensitizing Followers on Health
Director of Health Services urges faith leaders in Malawi to encourage health care seeking and vaccination against diseases.
BLANTYRE, MALAWI-Faith leaders in Malawi have been urged to play a leading role in sensitising their followers to have health-seeking behaviours towards the elimination of various diseases, writes Steven Godfrey Mkweteza.
The appeal was made by the Director of Health Services for the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Howald Kasiya, during a sensitization meeting organized to sensitize religious leaders on health-related campaigns.
Kasiya said religious leaders are influential people in society and can play a crucial role in encouraging their followers to seek health care, including vaccination against COVID-19, cholera, and sexual reproductive health issues.
He also urged faith leaders to help their congregations disregard myths and misconceptions associated with vaccines.
"Today, we have so many churches, so some people are getting the wrong information regarding some health issues. This is why we want faith leaders to have knowledge about them," said Kasiya.
The sensitization meeting targeted faith leaders from Blantyre and Thyolo districts, which are two districts that perform poorly in health-seeking behaviours.
In a separate interview, Ras Thomas Chavula of the Nyabinghi dynasty said they will use the congregational model approach to mobilise people to allow their members to go for vaccination.
"We are influential figures in our societies, and we can be ambassadors of the right information about the vaccination campaign to our followers. We have learned various topics that would help us to sensitise and give correct information to our congregation," said Chavula.
The project officer for the Blantyre Synod Health Commission responsible for Blantyre and Thyolo districts, Thoko Banda, encouraged the participants to practise what they learned so as to bring about change.
The sensitization meeting was organised under the zatonse project, which is being funded by KFW GIZ as well as DCA-NCA.