President Lazarus Chakwera, has inaugurated the Malawi Red Cross Society 2025 Flag Week with a call for Malawians to treat each other with humanity and dignity ahead of the September polls.

Speaking this morning at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, the president said to achieve this, Malawians need to put aside their political, tribal and religious differences and put humanity as a priority in line with the theme of the flag week.

He said this in line with this year’s theme for the flag week, which is “on the side of humanity”.  

“It is incumbent on all of us to see everyone around us not as a political friend or foe, or as an opportunity to advance our own betterment or as a chance to inflict pain to satisfy our own resentment”, said Chakwera.    

The President asked Malawians to support the society which will be receiving donations during the week.

During the event, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda announced that the World Health Organisation - WHO has declared Malawi Polio Free.

She said this has been achieved through efforts made by various stakeholders including the Malawi Red Cross Society through various services including those offered by volunteers of the organisation.

MRCS President, Innocent Majiya, commended government for the support it renders to the humanitarian organization for it to effectively carry out its operations.

He cited subventions which government provides to the organization and the construction of an Emergency Operations Center in Blantyre as some of the notable areas that receive support from government.   

“We tried to reason with the government that we really need to have what we call Emergency Operating Center and going by what has been happening in Malawi that most of the disasters happened in the southern region, we settled to construct this building in Blantyre. We really appreciate the support that the government is rendering”, he said.      

During the event, Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, announced that the World Health Organisation has declared Malawi a Polio Free nation.

She said this has been achieved through efforts which government has made in partnership with bodies that include the Malawi Red Cross Society.

President Chakwera, has since provided two million kwacha towards the flag week donations in which the organization plans to raise a total of K200 million.