By Horace Tebulo
DEDZA-(MaraviPost)-Malawi Network of Religious Leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS (Manerela+) has stressed the need for community structures to take a leading role in promoting guidelines that will impact on protecting the environment.
Manerela+ Programs officer Harold Kachepatsonga was speaking on the sidelines of a day-long meeting with Civil Society Organisations, religious leaders and community leaders in Dedza district which aimed at finding lasting solutions to climate change shocks affecting some parts of the country.
Kachepatsonga observed that the recent cyclone Freddy that hit some parts of the southern region disrupted the provision of health services to people hence organising the meeting.
He added that the Bodly Autonomy and Integrity project being implemented aims at assessing the preparedness of district councils when the country experiences a resurgence of another disaster.
“We are here to sensitize Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), faith leaders, members of the community and traditional leaders on the importance of incorporating issues of climate change and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.
“We have learnt how climate change is affecting us. We feel combining the two is ideal as people will be able to understand the relationship between climate change and Sexual and Reproductive Health by looking at the challenges that the country experienced due to some disasters that some parts of the country faced,” said Kachepatsonga.
Commenting on the matter, Shamila Kananji described the meeting as timely saying there is a great linkage between sexual and reproductive health and climate change.
Manerela+ is implementing the Bodly Autonomy and Integrity project in partnership with the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (MSRHRA) funded by the Health Rights Alliance for Southern Africa.
The project which targets Dedza, Blantyre, and Chiradzulu districts aims at eradicating challenges associated with climate change.
