Tag Archives: Public Affairs Committee

Health, Malawi

“Act on religious sects denying children polio vaccine” – PAC dares Govt

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

By Mphatso Nkuonera

MANA-(LILONGWE)-The quasi-religious body, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has asked government to swiftly act on reports of some children being denied polio vaccine based on religious doctrines, calling the situation a ‘death trap’.

PAC Spokesperson, Bishop Gilford Matonga, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) in interview on Wednesday that there is no harm for government to intervene with force and protect children who are at risk of being exposed to avoidable deformities for life by parental decisions.

“PAC strongly condemns, in strongest terms, any religious grouping, sect of some faithful denying children to be vaccinated. This is very unfortunate and we will not accept it to thrive. Polio is a killer and it can deform the children.

Polio Immunization

“We appeal to government to take a strong stand against anyone denying children the vaccine. It must come in to protect its citizens because the future of this country is in these children who are being exposed to such hazards by faith,” he said.

Matonga said religious sects and other communities must not deliberately twist the interpretation of the holy books and start blocking others from accessing health services.

“We have 195 health facilities and 11 training colleges under the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) across the country to complement government efforts on health issues. If taking medicine was wrong, how would we have these religious originated health facilities?” he asked.

PAC was reacting to the facts that some Zion Christian followers in Salima under Traditional Authority (TA) Ndindi are shunning the vaccine which government rolled out on Monday.

In an interview with Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) for Ndindi catchment area, Lidson Chikhwethe, under Mchoka Health Centre in the district said the 1,719 target, may hit a snag following resistance from Zion Church members who are denying taking any medicine.

“This is the second day since we rolled out vaccine. Although we are able to meet our daily target of 150 children, worries have engulfed HSAs because on the onset two families of Zion Church have already blocked their children to access the vaccine on religious grounds,” he said.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Adrian Chikumbe, said the mass vaccination campaign has rolled out successfully in all the 28 districts across the country.

“So far we have not received any technical challenge since we rolled out the national polio vaccine on Monday 21st March, 2022. We are hopeful that government will reach the 2.9million national target.

“We are working towards addressing human resources gaps with speed. We were expected to have 15,000 HSAs but we have only 10,000. We are sure that very soon we will close this 5,000 shortfall existing due to bureaucratic systems, otherwise donors are ready to support,” he said.

Polio is a highly transmissible virus most often spread via the stool of an infected person usually through contaminated water or food.

It can also be spread via oral or nasal secretions and mainly affects children under five.

Opinion

Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma pens Martha Chizuma on her questionable second take appointment

Maravi Post Reporter 1 Comment
Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma (L) Martha Chizuma (R)

Definition of (be) careful what you wish for (used to tell people to think before they say that they want something and to suggest that they may not actually want it)

Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma who has a following on Facebook and comes from a strong Malawi political resume has penned Martha Chizuma who was reconfirmed as ACB director after an outcry when Public Affairs Committee of Malawi Parliament (PAC) initially rejected her appointment by Lazarus Chakwera  Malawi President

Initial Public Affairs Committee (PAC) actions were supported by people like Ralph Kasambara and many in the opposition who do not believe her neutrality as claimed by many of her supporters.

Chatinkha Chidzanja Nkhoma who also supported the initial rejection of Martha being a good sport has since penned the following:

Congratulations Martha, we are good losers and a good sports woman, I lose gracefully. Now free advice below….

Political hatred has reached unprecedented levels in Malawi. I hope you will not use your position to exert vendetta and revenge witch hunting, especially for those who opposed your appointment, especially Sr. Counsel whose only crime was to give a contrasting legal opinion, nde democracy yo.(that is democracy)

Please prove your  professionalism by rising above political pressure and not be used as whipping shambok. This will be a litmus test to prove if indeed you are what has been touted of you.

My free advice to you is that you MUST remember, we politicians can make a person and just as well break them to pieces. I have seen to many wasted educated, talented, and professional people who have been used and abused and dumped by political interferences.

They get forced to make unlawful and illegal decisions just to appease those who elevated them. Then timakukanani, kukutsatsani and you pay the price alone, ife tili pheee jumping on the next victims. Our  famous  statement mukagwidwa is  “LET LAW TAKE ITS CAUSE” .

 Please check the trend from the Kamuzu, Muluzi, Bingu, Joyce and APM eras and count the filled-up graves of professionals smeared by politics. I know what am talking about. Get there and prove to Malawians(which happened to be 17m of various political dispensation) that you indeed what you as said to be cut out to be.

Most people who routed for you or didn’t,  don’t know you personally at all, so do not be bias, prejudice or favoring…. treat ALL cases with utmost professionalism so that we can celebrate your ascendancy to this position of power and influence….as a woman.

GOOD LUCK, you will need it.

Religion

Living Waters Church blocked its members to join PAC demo

Maravi Post Reporter

The Living Waters Church on Friday asked its members not to join the 13th December, 2017 electoral reform demonstration organized by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC).

Living Waters Church said this through its letter sent to all of its churches.

Below is the epistle;

Dear LWC Clergy and Laity.

I write in my capacity as General Secretary of the Living Waters church International to inform you that neither the Board of Trustees nor the International Council have met to come up with a position of the church visa vis events of 13th December 2017.

I would further hasten to inform you that in the absence of a formal statement from the Board of Trustees or International Council, all clergy and laity of the LWC Int. are hereby restrained from making statements on behalf of the church to any fora for or against the events of the 13th December 2017.

The above notwithstanding, the church acknowledges that all clergy and laity of LWC Int. have a right to exercise their individual freedooms as citizens of Malawi permitted by the constitution of the country to choose which side of the debate to follow. That would be their private decision and not the official position of the church.

As a church we continue to plead with all the clergy and laity laity to pray for the peace of God to reign on both sides of the coin irrespective the choices they make. We need to praay for Government as much as we need to pray for all who are going to march so that there should be peace progress and prosperity in our country.

Endless love and unceasing prayers,