Zion Apostolic Church discourages congregants from accessing medical attention
* As it urges faith leaders to fight against infant mortality
* Zion Apostolic Church says their church doctrine cannot change just because they want to accommodate the demands of other people
* Reverend Amos Batumeyo says they do not stop their members from taking their children to hospital
* But they tell them that it is only God who heals — hence, no need to seek intervention from a fellow being
* Disease are a part of punishment which God struck mankind because of disobedience — therefore, it is the same God who can cure it
By Michael Martin, MANA
In the interest public health, Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) appeals to the government to put some strict measures so that faith groups should comply in seeking medical attention to increase the population’s immunity — hence advancing the right to life.
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In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), Executive Director, George Jobe said this after observing that faith leaders bar women and children from accessing medical help and has since asked them to stop the malpractice in order to reduce infant mortality rate in the country.
Thus Jobe said it is necessary for the government to ensure that everyone is accessing medical help more especially in this time when the country is under siege of different pandemics like cholera and polio.
“It is very pathetic that there are some religious leaders in the country who are frustrating the efforts of defeating diseases like cholera and polio by instructing their members not to access medical help like vaccine because it is against their beliefs,” Jobe said.
He thus appealed to government to put the strong measures for compliance, saying “all members who belong to such faith groups must start going to hospital to be vaccinated against different diseases like polio and also seek medical assistance when they are sick”.
George Jobe
However, Reverend Amos Batumeyo of Zion Apostolic Church, whose domination discourages congregants from accessing medical attention, said their church doctrine cannot change just because they want to accommodate the demands of other people.
He said they do not stop their members from taking their children to hospital but they tell them that it is only God who heals — hence, no need to seek intervention from a fellow being.
“Disease are a part of punishment which God struck mankind because of disobedience — therefore, it is the same God who can cure it,” Batumeyo said.
Yakobo Nkangala, a member of Apostolic Faith Church said religion does not stop anyone from seeking medical services but that they believe it is only God who can heal the sick — hence, being faithful to him.
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In its situation report on Saturday on the cholera outbreak, Ministry of Health took note that some cholera patients are not seeking care early due to religious beliefs — making the disease to spread further resulting in unnecessary loss of life in the process.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda appealed to the faith community to encourage their members that if anyone in the community has signs and symptoms of cholera they should seek medical care immediately.
The Minister indicated that most of the deaths occurred while in the communities or at health facilities after presenting at the facilities late for treatment.
This comes as new cases keep being reported. As of last week, 23 districts had reported cases of cholera since confirmation of first case in March in Machinga but as of Saturday, two more districts had been affected.
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While a total of 4,398 people have recovered — from the cumulative figure of 4,699 since the onset of the outbreak, 164 are currently in the treatments centres.
On October 8, a total of 74 new cases were reported with new two deaths — one each in Blantyre and Nkhotakota — but on Saturday, 95 new cases were reported that included five new deaths; four from Nkhotakota and one from Mangochi.
Out of the 95 new cases, 30 are from Salima, 18 from Nkhotakota, 11 from Karonga, 10 from Nkhata Bay, seven from Rumphi, five each from Neno and Mangochi, two each from Mzimba North, Mulanje and Blantyre, one each from Nsanje, Ntchisi and Ntcheu.
The situation report says the outbreak has been controlled in three districts but in the last 14 days, the disease has been reported in 22 districts.
Of the 19 affected districts, Nkhata Bay has reported most of the cases (974 and 25 deaths); followed by Blantyre (637; 25 deaths), Rumphi (650; 10 deaths), Nkhotakota (597; 30 deaths), Karonga (466; and 10 deaths), Mzimba North (409 and one death), Nsanje (297 and 14 deaths), Chikwawa (193 and four deaths) and Neno (165 and three deaths).
Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda
The Minister emphasized that major factors associated with the cholera outbreak in the communities are poor food hygiene, lack of safe water and low latrines coverage and usage (open defecation).
Measures so far done by the Ministry include:
* Setting up of treatment centres in all affected areas so that patients do not travel long distances for treatment. Cholera treatment near the affected areas and supply of medicines;
* Pot to pot chlorination of water in the communities where there is no safe water. The Ministry of Water is also in the process of putting safe water sources in the communities;
* Administration of oral cholera vaccinations (OCV);
* Contact tracing of cholera cases;
* Engagements with local leaders to facilitate latrine and use, including general sanitation and hygiene issues; and
* Community sensitization on prevention and control of cholera being done in all districts of the country.
Chiponda keeps reminding the general public that cholera is a preventable and treatable disease and emphasized that drinking safe water is paramount as well as proper use of latrines; washing hands with soap after visiting the toilet and before handling food; using safe & treated water all the time and practising food hygiene.
She assured that her Ministry is working together with Ministry of Water to make sure all people have safe water all the time while indicating that she is also working with CHAM facilities in providing cholera treatment and prevention services free of charge.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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