Germany ambassador calls for more COVID-19 awareness in rural communities

By Dyson Kamwana, MANA

Germany Ambassador to Malawi, Juergen Borsch has said the country needs to intensify awareness campaigns on COVID-19, especially targeting people living in rural areas.

He said people in the rural communities lack access to clear and effective information on issues in public discussion.

The remarks were made Tuesday when the Germany International Cooperation (GIZ) donated sanitary materials like buckets, hand washing soap and face masks as well as lessons on precautionary measures meant help curb spread of COVID-19 to the people of Traditional Authority Kaomba in Kasungu District.

Borsch demonstrates how to use the donated
items

The Ambassador said the rural masses are vulnerable to fake news which causes panic and pressure.

“We are in the middle of harvesting and marketing season,” Borsch said. “This is why we are going out to inform people not to continue working in the way they used to do but they need to take preventive measures. 

“They need to stay disciplined and do regular hand washing as well as observing social distancing.”

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Borsch called for more awareness messages to people in remote areas at a time the country embark on election campaigns, where public rallies which attract multitudes will be conducted.

“My message goes out to all sorts of gatherings of many people without protective measures,” he said. 

“We can continue with our lives but we need to take preventive measures, we need to protect ourselves and others since the virus can spread by close contact and speaking.”

Coronavirus alert

In his remarks, TA Kaomba applauded GIZ for the gesture, saying people in rural areas lack COVID-19 messages and materials to protect themselves from the virus since some cannot afford to buy them.

“People in my area are very curious to listen to the messages that are coming here about this pandemic. 

“The coming of these protective materials has strengthened the response to curb the spread of the virus in my area and the whole district at large,” he said.

Coronavirus alert

The Embassy donated buckets and hand washing soap at Agriculture Commodity Exchange (ACE) at its Chilanga warehouse in the district.

The donated equipment will cater for all village groups in TA Kaomba area.

Meanwhile, Development Communications Trust (DCT) is implementing a response intervention project which seeks to increase knowledge and motivate people to practice recommended behaviours for the prevention of possible COVID-19 outbreak.

Chumbu recording clips for radio programmes

Speaking during a Public Health Emergencies Management Committee (PHEMC) meeting held in Mchinji recently, the Project Coordinator, Bettie Chumbu said the organization is using key influencers such as chiefs, traditional healers, religious leaders and volunteers called radio listening clubs who are taking a leading role in message dissemination in their remote areas.

“We have observed that people are aware of the pandemic and how to prevent themselves from contracting it, but what is remaining is to see a changed behavior in them such as frequent handwashing with soap, practicing social distancing, among others,” she said.

Coronavirus alert

According to Chumbu, for a person to change behaviour and adopt good practices, there was need for the individual to see a key benefit in it, thereby calling for more than awareness.

She said that is why DCT has trained the stakeholders who are going beyond just raising awareness of the pandemic, but are promoting the change of some behaviours that would expose people in contracting the virus through interpersonal communication.

“Installation and usage of locally made handwashing facilities popularly called ‘mponda giya’ was one such practice being promoted by the stakeholders as this will motive both adults and children to practice the handwashing with soap at household level,” Chumbu.

Coronavirus Alert

Traditional Authority (TA) Simphasi commended DCT for considering engaging community based stakeholders as partners in this fight, saying they have great influence over their subjects who are likely to receive their message positively when a  calamities such as the pandemic strike.

Among other approaches in awareness raising, DCT was using mobile vans to raise awareness on COVID-19 as well as phone in programmes aired on community radio stations in the targeted districts, where Malawians are given space to interact with health experts to clarify on certain myths, misconceptions and fake news from social media about COVID-19.

The response project is called ‘Increasing Awareness On protection and Preparedness against COVID-19 Outbreak’ and is being implemented in five districts of Mchinji, Dowa, Mwanza, Karonga and Blantyre with funding from United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).—Additional reporting by Sarah Munthali, MANA