MANAonline
Ministry of Health piloting National IDs requirement for health services in Karonga
By Wakisa Myamba
Karonga, May 8, Mana: Ministry of Health intends to pilot the use of national identity cards for one to access healthcare services in selected areas of Karonga District.
The initiative aims at streamlining access to healthcare services and enhancing health service delivery efficiency.
This was disclosed Tuesday by Chief Digital Health Officer at the Ministry of Health, Kennedy Kanyimbo, during a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting.
He said that there is need for modernization in the health sector as he highlighted potential benefits of utilizing national identification cards for client identification.
"The adoption of national identity cards in healthcare services will revolutionize clients’ information management.
This innovative approach will not only expedite clients’ registration but also prevent duplication of offered services, thereby promoting efficient utilization healthcare resources," said Kanyimbo.
He said the pilot phase will commence with several health facilities including Chilumba Rural Hospital, Chilumba Barracks, Nyungwe Health Centre, Karonga District Hospital and Kapolo Health Centre.
“Karonga District was chosen for the initial pilot phase due to its high number of people who have national identity cards,” he added.
Executive Director of Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS), Cosam Munthali, commended the ministry for the initiative.
Munthali however stressed the need for addressing potential challenges that may arise during implementation of the intervention.
"This is a step towards modernization and efficiency in healthcare delivery, however, it is crucial to anticipate and mitigate any obstacles which may impede initiative," said Munthali.
The Ministry of Health aims to extend the programme to other districts across Malawi following a successful pilot phase in Karonga.
ABC set to host a Super Saturday event
By Ousman Manda
Lilongwe, May 8, MANA: African Bible College (ABC) Sports Department has organised a Super Saturday Interclasses games event, scheduled for May 10 to May 11 at the ABC football pitch
The event will feature a range of exciting competitions like High Jump, Long Jump, Bike Race, Weight Lifting, and the ABC Marathon among others.
In an interview on Wednesday, Sports Director at ABC, Jeffrey Kumwenda, stressed the importance of the event in promoting unity and sportsmanship among the students.
"It's a great way for everyone to come together, have fun, and showcase their skills in various sports activities," he added.
In a separate interview, one of the organisers of the event, Asifiwe Sichimata, said that the event will bring teamwork spirit among students and a high level of competition.
"This will teach everyone how competitive everything gets, no matter how small or big the thing is," he mentioned.
Student at ABC, James Nzakoh Bandawe, disclosed his anticipation for the event, while highlighting the importance of unity.
"Even though it's a competition, the main focus is on us students and staff coming together to strengthen the bonds we share," added Bandawe.
New electronic system to improve efficiency at Loans board
By Sheminah Nkhoma
Lilongwe, May 8, Mana: Higher Education Students Loans Grants Board (HESLGB) has said the newly electronic applying system for student’s loans will help them to process data easily.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) Board’s spokesperson Millie Kasunda, said as a board they thought it wise to come up with the electronic applying method because Malawi ‘s 2063 agenda has digitalization as one of its pillars therefore everyone should embrace technological advancement.
The new electronic application system is designed to be user-friendly and efficient. The system guides applicants, ensuring that all required documents and information are submitted,” said Kasunda.
She further urged all needy students who have not registered through the application that it’s high time that they start applying using the system.
“The paper based system was giving us many challenges in keeping information for the students but with the coming in of the system we see it as reliable so it’s important that students should be using it “, she said.
University of Malawi Students Representative Council President Thanks Elia Mwalwanda highlighted the significance of the new system saying that it will give access to students to apply for the loans within a short period of time.
“Most people in the world are moving forward with technology so with the coming in of electronic application system will make it possible for the board to trance all loans beneficiaries without difficulties”, said Mwalwanda.
The Malawi government has initiated programmes to promote financial inclusion through digitalization, aimed at increasing access to credit for underserved populations.
SOFF making strides in empowering girls education
By Lesnat Kenan and Levison Lester
Lilongwe, May 8, Mana: Shaping Our Future Foundation (SOFF) which is championed by the First lady Monica Chakwera is making progress in empowering girl education for the past two years in the country.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), Education Programmes Coordinator of SOFF, Lawrence Kayesa confirmed the development after a well-known businessperson based in USA, Chawezi Chacha Banda donated seven laptops worth k14 million to girls who performed excellently in the Malawi School Certification of Education (MSCE).
Kayesa said as part of appreciation, donation will target 2,500 underprivileged girls in various secondary schools and universities across the country.
"We are making progress as a country in shaping girls education. In the past years girls were behind in terms of education, but this time around we have parents, guardians and various organisations supporting girl child education”, Kayesa said.
He also said that there are number of girls who performed well during the last year's MSCE which was not the case in the past years.
Kayesa further highlighted that despite the progress in girl’s education, there are a lot of challenges hindering girls to go further with education.
He said, increase of school fees and lack of enough resources like laptops are some challenges being encountered.
Lilongwe Girls secondary school Student Sphiwe Ngalande, who is among girls who has performed well expressed her gratitude saying the laptops will help her in her studies.
"As a student, this laptop is going to help me so much since am about to start college studies,” She said.
MACRA launches construction of 75 ICT laboratory Centre’s
By Bishop Witmos
Mangochi, May 8, Mana: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) through Connect a School Project launched construction of 75 Information Communication Technologies (ICT) laboratory Centre’s in Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) across the country.
This Connect a School Project is under the Universal Service Fund, a digital inclusion arm of MACRA as the project seeks to build CDSS’s capacity as community ICT Centre’s, targets over 40,000 students and 250,000 community members access the Centre’s.
Speaking during the official ground-breaking ceremony of the construction of the Centre’s at Nkope CDSS in Mangochi on Tuesday, Head of the Universal Service Fund at MACRA, Ronald Tembo said that Connect a School Project is a flagship project for MACRA in line with National Digitalization Policy.
‘‘In this project, we have taken a different model where we are working with the community, particularly the artisans who are trained by TEVETA and these are people who will be under management of National Construction Industry Council.’’
‘‘For us to make access for internet to all, we need a very good internet capacity in the country. MACRA is working on a diplomatic data corridor to introduce Yathu data which aims to cover all the rural areas with affordable and reliable internet,” he added.
Tembo disclosed that MACRA was installing technology towers to be spreading both mobile network and broadcasting signals in the unserved communities.
He added that apart from constructing ICT laboratories in schools, MACRA intends to construct a total of 9,000 ICT laboratories in most public institutions, a project which would cost the communication regulatory authority over K 7. Billion.
Director of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Ministry of Education, Prof. Chomora Mikeka said that Connect a School Project would help to build a human capital that would meet the demanded digital labour market.
He said the project was ideal in the digital transformation as it would help to transform the country’s economy.
‘‘This is a very critical project, as Malawians have demanded that we put each and every school an ICT lab in order to facilitate education digitalization, but also digital transformation in the country. This is bringing connectivity to schools and this is the way to go towards the Agenda 2063,’’ Mikeka said.
Out 6,954 Primary Schools in the country only 140 schools are connected to internet, while out of 1,774 Secondary Schools, a handful are connected to the internet, according to the Director.
Sub-Traditional Authority (STA) Chiwalo commended government for considering Nkope CDSS as one of the learning institutions to benefit from the project.
Drop in cases of children conflicting with the law
By Ernest Mfunya
Mangochi, May 8, Mana: Mangochi Police Station has disclosed that the district has registered a decrease in children found in conflict with the law in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to figures that were registered in similar quarter last year.
Mangochi Police Station Public Relations Officer (PRO), Inspector, Amina Daudi told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday that 30 minors were found in conflict with the law from January to April, 2024 year while 50 minors were arrested within the same period in 2023.
According to PRO, most of the criminal offences that the minors were in conflict with include house breaking and theft which she described as unfortunate and counterproductive to the development of the district.
“Statistics have shown that there is a decline in number of minors in conflict with the law in the first quarter of this year as compared to last year. All 30 minors are males unlike last year when out of 50 minors; 3 were females," Daudi said.
She attributed the decline to various interventions that the station implemented since January, 2024 citing community awareness as parents were sensitized how to monitor and control children so that they should not be in conflict with the law.
“We do diversions. This is where a child who commits a minor offence is consoled and sent back home,” Daudi added.
She expressed the station’s commitment to end cases of minors involved in crime and asked development partners to support the station.
“Collaboration is key in preventing children from conflicting with the law,” the PRO viewed.
Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) Project Officer, Grant Dula said that collaboration play a crucial role in minimizing cases of children found in conflict with the law in the district.
He commended Mangochi Police for implementing various interventions in collaboration with stakeholders to deal with crime in the district.
"There is good coordination between the police and other stakeholders in the district. When you work as a team it is likely for you to achieve your goals," the Officer said.
Dula pleaded with duty bearers in the district to intensify social behaviour change and psychosocial counselling programmes to minors as well as sensitization meetings with parents citing lack of parental care is one of the factors that drive children into crime.
Network hinders implementation of BIFIT programme
By Aliko Munde
Chitipa, May 8, Mana: Some stakeholders in Building Education Foundation Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) Programme in Chitipa District have said that telecommunications network was a challenge that is hindering smooth implementation of the programme.
Primary Education Advisor (PEA) for Nkhwangwa Education Zone, Jonathan Kayira said that most of the schools which are implementing the programme face internet network problems.
He said this Tuesday during BIFIT quarterly review meeting which was attended by a cross section of the programme’s stakeholders.
Kayira said that most of the schools in the zone access Tanzania Telecommunications Network, which he said cannot facilitate implementation of the initiative.
“We usually have a Tanzania Telecommunications Network and if we want to access our networks, we go to a specific place where the network is erratic,” he added.
The PEA appealed to the government and mobile service providers to come to the rescue of the area for learners to benefit from the programme.
Acting Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS) for Chitipa, Dr. George Kasondo said
that Chitipa District Council engaged the local mobile network providers so that they increased coverage in underserviced areas.
Chitipa District has 184 public primary schools, out of which 30 are implementing programme.
The programme in which promotes use of tablets by learners was launched on September 11, 2023.
MBTS surpasses blood collection with 11%
By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, May 8, Mana: Malawi Blood Transfusion Services (MBTS) has surpassed an annual target of 110,000 pints of blood after collecting 122,428 pints in the year 2023/2024 representing 11 per cent compared to last year when it collected 77,754 pints.
Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Janet Katonda disclosed this in an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday in Blantyre.
She said MBTS was meant to collect 75,599 pints in the year 2022/2023 but it surpassed this by 3 per cent, adding that blood collection was progressing well every year due to among other factors involvement of faith and community leaders and other people of good will in the blood collection campaigns
“We are geared to strengthen our relationship with blood donors, corporate stakeholders as well as community and faith leaders. These partners play a bigger role in blood collection processes because they help in mobilizing people to donate blood and they also make available blood donation facilities,” Katonda said.
She added that community awareness campaigns, mobile clinics, and social mobilization are some of the strategies MBTS put in place to help in dealing with myths and misconceptions that hinder blood collection processes.
The Manager thanked and encouraged blood donors to continue donating blood regularly to maintain level of blood in the banks.
Executive Director of Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), George Jobe told Mana that MHEN takes a role of sensitizing people on the importance of donating blood to those in need.
He added that MHEN plays an advisory role to MBTS on how it should mobilize people to donate blood and other blood collection strategies to ensure adequate blood in their storage.
“We are grateful to hear that MBTS has surpassed their target. As MHEN we have been engaging MBTS to have the Unstructured Supplemented Service Data (USSD) strategy as a way of communicating with communities on the need to donate blood,” he said.
Jobe added that Malawians should be assured that blood donation was a humane gesture that saves many beloved lives in the country’s hospitals.
He said there should be ways and means of dealing with myths and misconceptions that have potential to hinder blood collection and donation at the expense of those that are in dire need of blood.
WASH DSIP launched in Dowa
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, May 8, Mana: Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Liana Kakhobwe Chapota has government was committed to ensuring that every Malawian has access to potable water and good sanitation in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 6,
She said this Tuesday during the launch Dowa District Councils' 2024-2028 District Strategic Investment Plan (DSIP) for Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH).
'We are geared to ensure that as well as the Malawi 2063 which amongst others vies for potable water and sanitation for all.
"We want District Councils to align their initiatives to the policies and initiatives of the Ministry, so that they work hand in hand. We are therefore excited with this launch because this document has taken into consideration all these essential requirements," Chapota said.
She called all relevant stakeholders to put in concerted efforts to develop the sector.
The Deputy Minister said the launch marks a significant milestone in the council's commitment towards sustainable and Resilient WASH development for the District.
Chapota pointed that the Council should ensure full implementation of the plan saying the launch should not be the end towards its execution.
"In order to ensure that the Plan is operational, I request the District Council and all partners present to ensure that everyone knows about the plan and has access to it, all actors are aligned to it and report against it, and potential funders are approached and have committed to the plan.
" The Plan should be monitored and annually reviewed with all stakeholders for accountability, periodically updated, use the plan to influence annual planning and budgeting, and institutional capacity building for effective and sustainable implementation of the plan," she said.
Chairperson for Dowa District Council, Mayamiko Kambewa said the district was improving in terms of WASH and sanitation.
" We are currently at over 80 percent in terms of access to potable water for the population. In terms of open defecation, we only have 2 percent of the population still doing that.
"But in issues of sanitation, even if one person is not being hygienic enough, it might affect the whole village or community. So, we want to reach 100 percent in all these aspects," he said.
Kambewa urged all implementing partners in the district to align their work towards the plan and reach out to all communities including hard to reach ones.
The Plan was developed in collaboration with WASH players such as World Vision, Red Cross, Pump Aid, Beyond Water, Feed the Children, Beyond Water, Orant Charities and Self Help Africa.
Systems Manager for Self Help Africa, Joseph Kiambuthi said the Plan was home grown, and a product of an intensive and participatory process involving mapping of WASH access, developing a shared vision of universal WASH access, and identifying steps required over the fine years to deliver the joint vision.
"I would like to take this opportunity to confirm Self Help Africa and partners for their commitment to supporting government, the Ministry and District councils where we are working in to strengthen WASH systems to achieve sustainable WASH services," he added.
The WASH DSIP is to guide the council's implementation of activities in WASH and sanitation for the period and was launched under the theme “Delivering Sustainable and Resilient WASH Services for Productive Human Capital Development”.
Poor Law enforcement catalyses poverty in the country
By Majona Mnjuzi
Mchinji, May 8, Mana: Research findings presented by Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD) in partnership with Christian Aid and Lilongwe University of Agricultural (LUANAR) unveiled that poor law enforcement nurtures vendors and other unscrupulous individuals to rob from farmers,
Speaking during a research presentation at Mchinji District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting, Director of Centre for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) from LUANAR, Innocent Pangapanga Phiri, stressed that lack of capacity of the existing local and central government structures provide room for vendors to offer unaccepted price of farm produce.
“Vendors are buying agricultural commodities at lower price. Notable example is maize, Government set K650 as starting price but vendors are buying at K410 for maize which is exploitation of the farmers. With such prices, farmers cannot graduate from poverty,” Phiri said.
Mchinji District Principal Nutrition and HIV/Aids Officer (PNHAO), Davie Panyani, hailed the research findings as a whistle blower for relevant stakeholders to develop policies that will deter such vendors’ tendency.
“The research findings have been presented on time, and as Mchinji district council we will incorporate these findings in our District Development Plan (DDP) to ensure swift action has been taken. Currently, we are intensifying climate smart agriculture as the first pillar of Malawi Vision 2063, and ensure that people are graduating from poverty line,” said Panyani.
LUANAR in partnership with Christian Aid and CARD conducted a development study aimed at “rethinking poverty” at Tradition Authority (T/A) Mavwere in Mchinji district.
Similar study is also expected to be done in Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.
