The bitter impact of the COVID 19 pandemic outbreak has affected the lives of Sex Workers in Malawi. The novel coronavirus has exacerbated the challenges of sex workers making them even more marginalized and vulnerable in the community. The sex workers compelled to live on debts with extremely high interest rates which in fact very far beyond their capacities.

Against this background Centre for Social Concern and Development (CESOCODE) with support from Urgent Fung Africa, is conducting a six-month project to protect sex workers from the COVID-19 pandemic by distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) like face masks, hand sanitizers, taped water buckets, and soaps. We are also reaching out to these sex workers with Sexual Reproductive Health services and information like condom distribution and safe abortion counseling and referrals. The goal of this project is to protect sex workers from contracting COVID 19 by creating enough awareness of COVID 19 preventive measures and protocols.

In addition, the project is extending its services by providing sexual reproductive health services like condom distribution and safe abortion information to enable Sex workers to have access to Sexual Reproductive Health services and information during the COVID-19 pandemic when many health facilities are closed and lockdowns and services are limited.

 We are conducting one to one safe abortion counseling sessions with sex workers through counseling experts.

We conducting door-to-door condom distribution to sex workers to prevent them from unplanned pregnancies.

We conducted a COVID-19 prevention training for sex workers to provide awareness on preventive measures and protocols of COVID 19 enforced by the Government like hand washing, maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, and so on.