Now the waters have gone down, we have been able to work with local community leaders to assess flood damage and do a rapid needs assessment for MMH catchment area.

In the area around MMH, about 1480 people have lost their homes, and are still in need of blankets, plastic sheeting for temporary shelter, buckets for water, soap, mosquito nets and a basic foodstuff package for each family (maize, beans, cooking oil and likuni phala).  Some villages have lost many houses – Namputu 127, Nkhonya 62, Mangani 68, Salamba 80, Ngolowera 65, Mwanamvula 75, Tambala 75, Njema 68 to mention some of the worst affected. Mulanje Presbytery is visiting some of the affected areas at present to see how best to offer help.

More than 3000 pit latrines have collapsed in the area, and rebuilding toilets is an urgent public health priority. At the moment most latrines look like this:

MMH is establishing a fund to assist villages with the task of rebuilding toilets.  The cement for the slab and iron sheet for the roof for one pit latrine costs MK10,000, and with this contribution we would expect the community to manage to construct toilets with supervision from village health workers.

For the hospital, the power supply situation is now improving, with cuts every day but for only 4-6 hours each time – but 14 hours yesterday!   Last week we had no power at all for four days. It is difficult to find funds to buy enough fuel to keep the generator running.

We have already seen an increase in cases of malaria and severe diarrhoea, and we now need to be ready for cholera – so we are busy preparing a suitable building to used as an isolation ward if necessary, and boosting stocks of iv giving sets, iv fluids and latex gloves, chlorine, buckets etc.

MMH would appreciate any help you are able to offer towards meeting the above needs.

MMH management team  29/1/15