Lilongwe, Malawi … The news has turned its focus to the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the impact of Russia’s cancellation of grain exports from Ukraine, record-breaking temperatures around the world, and why a war with China over Taiwan could ruin the global economy. Several important events have fallen off the pages of the morning news, one of which is the fact thousands of people from southern Malawi are still homeless, suffering, and without medical care because of Cyclone Freddy that struck the area earlier this year. A major disruption of public services, including heath care, followed the storm and waterborne diseases have run wild.
Action for Progress continues to seek help for the area and is working to alleviate the suffering. Their most recent appeal for medical assistance caught the attention of Kristy Scott, CEO of World Emergency Relief in San Dimes, California. The result was immediate action, followed by two air shipments of pharmaceutical supplies flown from Canada to Lilongwe. The Malawi Customs and Revenue Authority and Action for Progress quickly processed the incoming supplies, and they were quickly on the way south. Action for Progress focused attention on the two districts hit the worst by the storm, Mulanje and Phalombe.
Receiving the donation on behalf of Mulanje District Hospital, Dr. Lloyd Njiho noted some health services had been discontinued because of storm damage and the absence of supplies, “We were just coming out of the Tropical Cyclone Freddy disaster and used most of our drugs to assist people in the camps. This donation will greatly help us.”
The donation was so significant three of Malawi’s news services covered the event. Pictured is Wilson Tembo, Executive Director of Action for Progress, being interviewed by one of the news services.
