Malawi Orders Restriction On Handshake As Pink Eye Infections Increase.

By Joseph Dumbula

Malawi’s Health Ministry has directed the public to stop handshaking, among other unhygienic practices, to avoid the spread of conjunctivitis.

It follows the registering of over 370 cases since January.

Speaking when issuing the order, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said the outbreak, which was first reported in the northern district of Karonga, has now spread to other districts.

The minister said the disease, also known as pink eye, transmits rapidly due to poor hygiene.

Conjunctivitis is a viral/bacterial disease and its symptoms include inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball, redness, itching and discharge from the eye.

In an interview with Pan African Visions earlier on, Dr Thomas Nyirenda, Head of Africa Office of EU-Africa Programme on Clinical Research argued that Malawi has to run as many public awareness campaigns to deal with hygiene related infections that the nation has grappled with from last year.

This follows heightened concerns that the nation has not been able to address infections such as cholera and scabies which mostly hit highly populated areas.