DIOCESE OF KARONGA TRAINS HEALTH WORKERS TO STRENGTHEN CHILD IMMUNIZATION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES
By Noel Chatepa
The Health Desk of the Diocese of Karonga facilitated a two-day refresher training from 9th to 10th February for health personnel working in the Cross Catholic Outreach funded Community Transformation (CT) Health project area of Chankholombe in Karonga District. The training covered a range of topics aimed at improving the quality of health services delivered to communities.
Mr. Jereni, the Environmental Health Officer for Karonga District, led sessions on primary health care, community assessment, disease surveillance, community mobilization, and patient follow-up. Mr. Evans Munthali, the Diocese’s Public Health Officer, conducted a session on communication and counselling, while Mr. Vincent Bwinga, the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, trained participants on safeguarding practices.
Jack Chizumira, a Health Surveillance Assistant at Hara Health Centre, described the training as timely and beneficial. “A refresher training like this allows us as health workers to assess ourselves, identify the areas where we are doing well, and improve where we are falling short,” he said. He added that the training had reminded staff of best practices and motivated them to perform their duties to the highest standard.
Environmental Health Officer for Karonga District Mr. Raymond Jereni commended the Diocese for organizing the training, noting that it gives health workers the push they need to address gaps in their work. “We really appreciate Karonga Diocese for coming in to support us with this training. As a religious institution, they are ensuring that the communities they preach the Gospel to are also supported in practical ways. They have also aligned this training with the Malawi Vision 2063, which calls for innovative, intelligent, and supportive health workers,” he said.
Mr. Evans Munthali, the Diocesan Public Health Officer explained that the Diocese had conducted an assessment in the communities where the CT Health project operates and found that a significant number of children had missed vaccination doses — some missing two doses and others as many as three. This finding prompted the Diocese to strengthen the capacity of health workers to ensure that no child is left without the recommended vaccinations. “We are impressed with how the training has gone and are confident that our Health Surveillance Assistants will improve in their practice and ensure that all children are immunized on time and complete all recommended vaccinations,” he said.
Munthali also expressed gratitude for the ongoing partnership with Karonga District Hospital (KDH) and the Ministry of Health. “We mainly rely on KDH and the Ministry of Health for technical support and guidance in our project work. The fact that the facilitation of this training was largely carried out by officers from Karonga District Hospital is something we deeply value. We look forward to continued collaboration as we implement other health programs, including those focused on Non-Communicable Diseases and Nutrition,” he said.