The Malawi Interfaith Aids Association (MIAA) has asked Parliament to push for funding allocation for interfaith community in dealing with various diseases including Covid-19.

According to MIAA executive director Pilira Ndaferakhande, it is through empowering the faith community where Malawi can address most health-related issues like the administration of Covid-19 jabs.

Ndaferakhande said most Malawians have trust in the faith community and that trust should be utilised in addressing challenges in the health sector.

“We have seen organisations using the faith community as one of the best personnel or resource in the fight against HIV and even uptake of vaccines,” said Ndaferakhande.

“Now we are saying why is that they come to us when things are out of hand instead of coming to the faith community at planning stage even funding stage.”

Concurring with the Association’s plea, chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health Matthews Ngwale said Parliament through his Committee will try to lobby for such funding and policy direction.

He said: “We are happy with their presentation, we have agreed to meet again at the workshop where we will be looking at each and every item which they have put on the table.”

“We believe issues like Covid-19 vaccination they can be very useful and we would like to really appeal to government to take MIAA into consideration as part of the campaign.”