By Alice Ndunya

Machinga, May 16, Mana: Machinga District Council and  the Coalition of People Living with HIV held a clean up exercise at the councils offices in Liwonde on Thursday to ensure cleaner and safer work environment against diseases that spread through poor hygiene.

The Council’s  Environmental Desk Officer, Andrew Kaitano Hamuza, said the exercise is one of the ways to set pace for good hygiene in public places and ideal way to deal with poor hygiene and improper disposal of waste.

"We struggle with numerous diseases due to negligence in taking care of our surroundings, including our workplaces. Everyone should take up the responsibility to clean up places,” he said.

He, however, expressed concern that some residents fail to adhere to cleanliness of their premises.

Hamuza disclosed that Machinga District Council plans to erect fences around dumping sites for proper waste disposal in the wake of Mpox.

“Proper hygiene can lower risk of Mpox infection. For this reason, plans are there to erect fences around our dumping sites including those in the market place,” he added.

District Coordinator for Coalition of People Living with HIV, Sakina M'dala, said the coalition saw it necessary to collaborate with the council in ensuring cleaner and safer work place.

“We want to prove that living with HIV does not limit one from participating in activities of public importance. This is the reason we set aside some days in a month to clean up  public places in the district,” she said.

Machinga District Council member of staff, Ujisi Sadick, was happy to be part of the clean up team saying her participation testified commitment for cleaner and infection free environment.