Govt faulted for lack of awareness on pink eye

There are growing calls for the government to intensify raising awareness messages on the conjunctivitis disease popularly known as pink eye to contain its further spread.

Malawi has for the past two weeks recorded 6,651 cases in the country’s 26 districts, leading the cumulative number of cases to rise from 6,768 cases to 13,419 cases.

Commenting on the issue, Mathews Ngwale chairperson for the parliamentary committee on health insist that one can hardly see posters of the disease even in some health facilities hence the need to raise awareness.

“Most people are not aware of this disease outbreak, because there are no awareness messages on radio on how the disease is spread. By now, posters carrying messages and pictures of the disease were supposed to be all over,” concerned Ngwale said.

Also weighing in his views on the matter is Maziko Matemba a health and human rights advocate who encourages the citizenry to follow good hygienic practices.

“This disease is preventable if hygiene awareness is enhanced, particularly hand-washing with soap before touching the eyes. An eye is a delicate part of the body hence those that have the disease should only follow the doctors’ instructions and not otherwise,” Matemba stressed.

Matemba has since advised conjunctivitis patients or those suspected to have the disease to seek medical attention.

In February this year, minister of health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda ordered the suspension of handshakes, among other hygiene measures among Malawians, as a way of preventing the spread of the outbreak.