The Majority of women in Ntcheu district of Malawi do not have the capacity to access COVID-19 preventive materials and information due to poverty. This being the case more women are at risk of contracting the virus; and approximately 150,000 could directly die due to the pandemic. It is against this background that WeLAF decides to support 8,500 women in Ntcheu district with face masks and other preventive messages.
Due to the high rates of poverty, HIV infection and population density, Malawian women are particularly vulnerable to the virus. A recent analysis of the potential impact of COVID-19 in Malawi projects that 4 million Malawian women (21% of the population) could become infected over the next year, and up to 150,000 of them could die directly from the virus. With only 25 ICU beds and 17 ventilators in the country, Malawi's fragile healthcare system is simply not capable of handling the pandemic.
WeLAF will educate rural communities on hygiene, social distancing and other pandemic prevention messages via community based COVID-19 Response Teams; and delivering Public Service Announcements over vehicle-mounted loudspeakers circulating throughout the district. WeLAF will deliver essential COVID-19 prevention supplies, including locally-tailored masks and soap for women in the highest risk areas.
Through Public Service Announcements over vehicle-mounted loudspeakers circulating throughout the district, over 20,000 people are expected to be educated/reached with hygiene, social distancing and other pandemic prevention messages which will cascade down to others resulting in increased community knowledge over time.
