The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has challenged Malawi’s media to take greater responsibility in developing and disseminating accurate messages on public health emergencies, including cholera, measles and Mpox.
Speaking during a capacity-building workshop for journalists and health officials on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), Africa CDC Team Leader Dr Gift Aniyomi said well-crafted messages on vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) are critical to protecting communities.
“Right messages empower people to take responsibility for their own health and that of others in their communities,” Aniyomi said.
She noted that Malawi, like other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, continues to face outbreaks of cholera, measles and Mpox, which require proactive prevention through effective communication.
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“If we do not prepare and safeguard our borders with the right messages, they become vulnerable to emerging diseases,” she warned.
Deputy Director of Community and Promotive Health Services for Health Promotion, Dr Kondwani Mamba, emphasized the media’s central role in shaping effective public health communication.
“Our messages must be developed in a way that people clearly understand and are motivated to take action,” Mamba said.
Meanwhile, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter representative Lloyd Chitsulo urged journalists to avoid misinformation and disinformation, cautioning that inaccurate reporting can undermine efforts to prevent and respond to public health emergencies.
