In a bid to promote the fight against contagious diseases at Mzimba Prison, Southern Africa AIDS Trust (SAT), in partnership with Action Aid Malawi, on Wednesday donated K6.7 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the facility.

Speaking after handing over the equipment, SAT Country Director Robert Phiri said though Covid-19 cases have drastically reduced in the country, prisons remain potential breeding grounds for various contagious diseases.

ActionAid Malawi Programme Manager for Covid-19 Response Mechanism (C-19RM), Dalitso Kuphanga, said the items were procured with funding from Global Fund through the Ministry of Health’s sub-recipient C-19RM programme.

Officer in-Charge for clinical services at Mzimba Prison George Msumba, said the facility currently has 965 inmates against its recommended holding capacity of 350.

The donation comprised 100 hand washing buckets, 2,000 bottles of hand washing soap, 2,000 reusable masks and 500 bottles of sanitizer.

Apart from Mzimba Prison, similar items have also been donated to Thyolo, Zomba and Maula Prisons.