STI cases among young people SOAR by 40% in Machinga as health bosses sound alarm

Shocking new figures have revealed a dramatic surge in sexually transmitted infections among young people in Machinga District — with almost 3,000 cases recorded in just six months.

Health officials confirmed that 2,966 STI cases were logged between January and June this year, a sharp jump from the 2,131 cases recorded over the same period last year — a rise of nearly 40 per cent.

The alarming figures have prompted health authorities to call for urgent action to curb the spread of infections among the district’s youth.

Machinga District Health Office spokesperson Wongani Nyirenda broke the news in an interview on Monday, warning that the spike lays bare the scale of the challenge facing health workers.

“The increase in cases shows that we need to intensify prevention measures, including providing young people with information and access to health services that can help them protect themselves,” he said.

Nyirenda insisted the health office would not sit back, vowing to ramp up youth-friendly services — including sexual health education and counselling — in a bid to stem the rising tide of new infections.

But it’s not just health chiefs raising the red flag.

Machinga District Youth Network Chairperson Asima Kapalepale has demanded that crucial sexual health messages reach young people living in remote, rural communities — where access to vital information remains scarce.

Meanwhile, Belinda Somanje Chimombo, who chairs the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Network in Machinga, issued a stark plea to the district’s youth: protect yourselves.

She urged young people to take full advantage of available prevention methods and to seek out health services at the first sign of trouble — rather than risk their health by delaying treatment.

Chimombo called on youths to “take responsibility” for their own sexual health, urging them to seek out accurate information and make use of services designed to keep them safe.