Malawi: Malawi Should DNA-Test Every Newborn to Spare Fathers 'Devastating' Shock, Says Campaigner
[Nyasa Times] A leading Malawian campaigner has called on the government to consider making DNA tests compulsory for every newborn, saying men are being driven to despair when they discover, long after the fact, that they have raised other men's children.
Malawi's leading advocate for men, Pilira Ndaferankhande, has urged the government to make DNA testing mandatory for all newborns. According to Ndaferankhande, fathers are being devastated by the shock of discovering years later that they are not the biological parents of their children. She cited a study that found eight out of ten men who took DNA tests learned that the children they believed were theirs were fathered by other men.
Ndaferankhande, who heads the Malawi Interfaith Association for Action, believes that early testing can prevent such devastating revelations. She spoke at a fundraising dinner in Blantyre organized by the Abambo Tibe Khonde group, which aims to build a house for men considering suicide. Founder Jefferson Milanzie, who himself contemplated ending his life, described the intense suffering and isolation many fathers face, often suffering in silence due to the stigma that "a man does not cry."
Her organization has reached over 18,000 people, helping to prevent numerous suicides across several districts in Malawi.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
