Sex workers demand inclusion in Covid-19 prevention

Sex workers in Karonga have blamed health officials for denying them opportunity to undergo Covid-19 preventive trainings.

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Songwe Sex Workers peer educator Doris Mshani said it was unfortunate that health officials in the district were sidelining them from getting Covid-19 awareness messages.

“We thought that we should have been one of the groups to get Covid-19 preventive messages considering the nature of our work. But this has not happened,” she said.

Mshani has since appealed to authorities to consider reaching everyone, including sex workers.

In a separate interview, Karonga district director of health and social services David Sibale said they will ask stakeholders to assist them with resources to reach out to sex workers with preventive messages.

“It’s true that sex workers can contribute to the spread of Covid-19 because some of them ply their trade along the border where they meet people from outside and within the country.

Although Karonga District Council had a projected budget of K192 million, but government provided K35 million to enhance its fight against the pandemic.