BLOOD SUCKING ROUMORS AFFECTS NSO SURVEY
National Statistics Office NSO has expressed worry on over the blood sucking rumors circulating Rumors in the northern part of Malawi.
The NSO is currently conducting The Malawi Multiple Cluster Survey and Behavioural and Biological surveillance survey respectively, which include taking of blood samples from participant.
However, in an interview with helpline.com, Public Relations officer for NSO Kingsley Manda said they have been sensitizing people in all the media houses like radios, newspapers and television but people do not seem to understand.
“Our office has tried all best measures, raising all the necessary awareness messages to the public about our surveys in all languages, but it seems people do not understand and it’s just that our surveys have come at wrong time together with the blood suckling rumours”.Manda said.
“And because we are taking blood samples some people think that we are the blood suckers but we are not, they should trust us”, he emphasised.
Reacting to the development,secretary for church and society Moses Mkandawire has said the government should suspend the survey as soon as possible.
He said government should suspend the surveys because there is too much tension from the public in the northern region and that is why this will keep on disturbing surveys.
“Since roumors of blood suckling started nobody has come forward to testify that they have been sucked blood” he added.
Recently,police in Karonga arrested three people for allegedly killing two Mozambiquean citizens suspected of being blood suckers.
Behavioural and Biological surveillance survey is conducted to track behavioural and biological trends among most-at-risk populations that influence the HIV epidemic.
