By Rose Cross Mahorya

Mzuzu, August 16, Mana: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) with funding from European Union (EU) awarded best performing structures in Afikepo nutrition programme in Mzimba North District on Wednesday.

Speaking at Chisangano Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Mtwalo, CRS coordinator for Mzimba North and Nkhatabay districts, Jane Mwamlima said the awards are a way of encouraging communities to continue hygiene practices and proper feeding habits even after the project ends.

“We are here to give out these rewards as a way of encouraging you to hold on to the practices that the project has taught you.

“We hope that the livestock will be well taken care of so that your families have a stable source of animal food. The rewards in form of woodlots will help the replacement of trees while the orchards will be a source of fruits,” she said.

Group Village Headman Chakhazika Ngwira whose Munyetezi Care Group was amongst the winners of K450,000 worth of livestock appreciated CRS for the rewards stating that it is a good incentive to reinforce healthy eating habits in communities.

“Ever since Afikepo came to our areas cases of malnutrition have drastically reduced. I am very certain that the giving out of these rewards will encourage those who are already doing well and those who were relaxing on the practices.

“As a leader, I can assure you that these resources will be used effectively to fulfill the purpose for which they were given for,” he said.

Representing District Commissioner’s office, Mzimba North Director of Administration, Mercy Ghambi appreciated the project for helping alleviate nutrition challenges in the district.

The giving out of the rewards will be done in four quarters  till December 2023 when Afikepo nutrition program will end.

By Austine Kachilika

Mzimba, August 16, Mana: World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern over the low uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Mzimba District.

Speaking during the district’s Gender Technical Working Group, WHO Representative, Dr Chris Kalisa said there is need to intensify efforts to ensure that people are vaccinated in the district.

He said: “Even though COVID-19 is no longer a public health threat, there is still need to intensify vaccination since only 38% of the population in the district is vaccinated.”

Kalisa said socio-cultural factors such as misinformation, myths as well as cultural and religious beliefs are some of the key drivers that promote low uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the district.

“Despite lacking credibility, people tend to believe in COVID-19 misinformation, myths as well as cultural and religious beliefs. People tend to be easily persuaded by them”, he said.

Kalisa said WHO and the Malawi Government have reached an agreement to fully adopt COVID-19 vaccination into National Immunisation and Primary Health Care programmes.

Mzimba South Director of Health and Social Services, Dr Prince Chirwa said adopting COVID-19 vaccination into National Immunisation and Primary Health Care programmes will improve efficiency in service delivery.

He said: “By adopting COVID-19 vaccination into National Immunisation and Primary Health Care programmes, there will be enhanced demand and will address the existing inequalities that hinder the availability, accessibility and acceptance of COVID-19 jabs in the district.”

By Elizabeth Chilopa

Dedza, August 14, Mana: Dedza District Council Principal Nutrition, HIV and AIDS Officer, Lottie Makina has hailed the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for funding the second phase of the Living Schools Project saying this will strengthen nutrition status of learners and promote education in the district.

Speaking during a District Nutrition Coordination Committee meeting on Friday, Makina said the project is essential in the district as many students are facing health related issues due to malnutrition.

"As a result, they find it difficult to learn and fail to complete their studies. With this programme, we have been able to help them overcome some of these issues so that they could stay in school," he said.

He, therefore, thanked UNICEF for approving funds amounting to K36 million for the district to implement the second phase of the project saying the project has already begun transforming communities where the schools are located and strengthening the education system in the district.

Chairperson for Dedza Civil Society Network, Heston Nalikole stressed the need for the council to find means of sustaining the project as it has the ability to promoting health and education among learners.

“There is a lot of idle land in school campuses which is usually encroached by surrounding communities. If we could use this land for agriculture practical and food productions for our schools, we could cut procurement costs for boarding schools and other feeding programmes," he said.

The Living Schools Project aims to improve the resilience of schools and support their adaptation to climate change. It addresses issues of health, water and sanitation, environmental awareness and tree planting with an emphasis on multipurpose and fruit trees for nutrition in schools.

In Dedza, the project is being implemented in three primary schools of Mapuyu, Mtemwende and Fumbwa under Traditional Authority (TA)Tambala.

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By Solister Mogha

Zomba, August 12, Mana: Head of Presidential Delivery Unit and Deputy Secretary to the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC), Dr Janet Banda has appealed for fast completion of Domasi Hospital in Zomba whose construction works started in 2013.

Speaking after touring the site on Friday, she said it was disheartening that 10 years after launching construction works; the facility wa still at 65 percent completion rate.

Dr Banda said was a bad sign of how developments should be implemented and that the delay has denied people of Zomba access to quality health care.

“Zomba is one of the congested cities and unfortunately, it has only one reliable hospital which is Zomba Central Hospital which by design is a referral facility.

“Domasi Hospital if completed would ease pressure on the Zomba Central Hospital while improve on provision of health services in the district,” Dr Banda noted.

The Head of the PDU said she would engage Secretary to the Treasury to make special provision that would see the facility completed and put to use.

“Our aim of coming to the hospital is to appreciate the progress and learn about bottlenecks that are making it hard to have the project completed and if possible find solutions.

“We understand that the main challenge was flow of financial resources for the project and from here, I would engaged relevant authorities and ensure we have enough funding and that works are done with speed,” Dr Banda said.

During the meeting, an agreement was reached that the project be done in phases and that come January next year, the facility should start operating at a small scale.

Secretary for Health, Dr Samson Mndolo said it was the wish of the Ministry of Health to have the facility completed.

He said at the moment, the Zomba Central Hospital was overwhelmed with cases that could have been handled by the district hospital.

“Central hospitals are supposed to attend to specialized cases, but as it with Zomba Central, every other case is handled by these specialized medical personnel thus shifting their attention.

“Completion of Zomba Central Hospital would definitely improve provision of health care and reduce maternal death which is high in the district,” Dr Mndolo said.

Since 2013, the maternity ward, female and women general wards, 10 staff houses, laboratory among others have been completed.

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By Ellen Banda

Dedza, August 14. Mana: Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) Dedza Division has urged its volunteers to continue spreading domestic hygiene messages that aim at ending and preventing outbreak of Cholera in the coming rainy season.

Speaking Friday during a refresher training on cholera management and prevention, Dedza District MRCS Project Officer for Cholera Emergency Response, James Kachidiku said the training was meant to prepare the volunteers to be alert should the country experience resurgence of Cholera pandemic.

“We understand that Dedza is one of the districts that was hard hit by cholera, therefore, we believe empowering our volunteers to keep sensitising communities to always practice hygiene will help to ensure free Cholera communities," he said.

Kachidiku hailed community structures for playing a crucial role of clearing myths and misconceptions surrounding Cholera cases and oral Cholera vaccine.

Council Member for MRCS Dedza Division, Sothini Chande asked volunteers to intensify collaboration with health care workers in their respective communities.

One of the volunteers from Traditional Authority (TA) Kachindamoto, Mercy Longwe, pledged to use household approach to monitor if hygiene protocols are observed in her area.

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By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, August 11, Mana: Senior Chief Mkumpha III of Likoma Island on Friday led his subjects in a clean-up exercise with the aim of keeping the island clean.

In an interview, Senior Chief Mkumpha said he decided to take part in the exercise in order to be exemplary to his subjects by keeping the island clean thereby preventing the spread of diseases.

"We need to keep the district clean. It is a responsibility of each and everyone to take part so that the district should prevent diseases which come due to lack of hygiene," said Mkumpha.

He, therefore, advised all community leaders in the district to be on the forefront practicing hygiene as well as sensitizing community members on the importance of the clean-up campaigns.

Chairperson for the clean-up campaign taskforce, Grant Kumwenda thanked all stakeholders for their participation which he said will help in the control of plastic pollution.

"I am impressed with the activity. The turn up was good, even people from market areas participated. It is good that people are now embracing this kind of initiative to keep the island clean," said Kumwenda.

He urged all the Islanders to continue embracing the activity since it is a routine exercise which is being done every second Friday of each month.

District Commissioner (DC) for Likoma, Abu-Bakr Nkhoma said the routine program, apart from preventing diseases, will make Likoma look tidy.

"The clean-up campaign aims at achieving good hygiene practices among Malawians. It encourages people to clean their homes, workplaces and their community surroundings and our district is not spared," said Nkhoma.

President Dr Lazarus Chakwera officially launched the National Clean-up Day in November, 2020 in Lilongwe.

By Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, August 10, Mana: Story Workshop Educational Trust (SWET) says community volunteers are key in sensitising communities on behaviour change.

Speaking Wednesday during orientation of community volunteers in Salima, the project’s District Officer, Phyllis Chingana, said they would train 140 community volunteers on a counseling tool manual that would be used to sensitize communities on hygiene, nutrition and health issues.

She said volunteers from Senior Chief Mwanza and Khombedza were trained on data collection from households in their communities under their clusters.

According to Chingana, the data will be centred on hygiene, nutrition and agricultural issues whose information will be filled on a behaviour-tracking tool.

"The volunteers are already championing hygiene and nutrition in their communities. They are promoters and cluster leaders, therefore, we have taken advantage of their knowledge so that they can continue sensitizing their communities on issues affecting them," she explained.

SWET is implementing a “Community Connect” Project, aimed at reducing fatality rate and the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases through community engagement and information-sharing in areas of Senior Chief Khombedza and Mwanza in Salima District.

"The project targets providing support on existing government efforts to address issues of good hygiene, nutrition, health, gender-based violence and prevention of diseases," Chingana said.

A volunteer from Kavanjilu Village Development Committee under Senior Chief Mwanza, Thokozani Katondo, said the orientation was timely as his area struggled with cholera cases, so, preventative measures have to be taken earlier now before rainy season approaches.

He said the advantage of the project is that it combines all aspects of human life to come up with messages for sensitizing communities.

The project targets 100,000 households in the district and is being implement in collaboration with different government agencies.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay, August 10, Mana: Communities in Nkhata Bay have asked government to lobby for more funds to continue with Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) project, if the country was to achieve its goal of eradicating Malaria by 2030.

Community members made these sentiments on Wednesday when a United States delegation visited Nkhata Bay to appreciate the impacts of IRS in the district.

One of the beneficiaries, Loveness Mtambo from Kauta Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Fukamapiri said the project which involves spraying indoors to kill mosquitoes, has reduced incidents of Malaria in her household and her community.

“Before IRS project, my children were frequently suffering from Malaria as you can see in their health passport books. Much of my time was spent at the hospital taking care of my children. This was compromising their education and wasting much of our time to do business and some community developments,” she claimed.

Mtambo, a mother of three said, “We are heartbroken to hear that this is the final year of the IRS project because we are scared to think of the encounters we used to have with malaria before the project.”

TA Fukamapiri said the hope of communities along the lakeshore district depended on the IRS project, saying many people would die of Malaria when it phases out due to high prevalence of mosquitoes in their areas.

Programmes Manager for the National Malaria Control Programme in the Ministry of Health Responsible for Malaria, Dr Lumbani Munthali said the country has managed to reduce Malaria cases by almost 61 percent from 2016 to 2022 through a number of interventions.

He assured the communities that once enough resources are secured, government was willing to continue with the programme and extend it to other districts as well.

Chief of Party for Global Fund Grants in World Vision Malawi (WVM), Dr. Biziwick Mwale said the said the organization was impressed that IRS was yielding positive results. 

WVM is implementing IRS project in Balaka, Mangochi and Nkhata Bay in partnership with government with support from Global Fund.

By Ireen Mseteka

Likoma, August 10, Mana: Likoma District Council Wednesday handed over Likoma Water Users Association (WUA) to Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) to improve the WUA’s efficiency in the district.

The hand over ceremony took place at the council’s stakeholders meeting with the blessing from the stakeholders.

Speaking during the ceremony, Chairperson for Likoma WUA, Pastor, Alexander Chitanda said the decision aims at improving sustainable provision of potable in the district.

""We are glad because NRWB is a statutory cooperation which has machinery and capacity in water potable water management and distribution and its coming to island water will go a long in attractinginvestors to the district," he said.

Chitanda said theWUAhas been encountering several challenges which includedregular break down of machines during its 13-year operation hence the coming of NRWB was a relief.

Director of Operations for NRWB, Dr. Asumani Ungwe said the Board came in following a request Likoma District Councilthat the board should to take over the operations of Likoma WUA’s water supply systems.

"The request was made because the association can no longer sustain its operations," he said.

Chairperson for Likoma District Council, Barnabas Sambamo thanked NRWB for accepting the requestand stakeholders’ decision to hand over water supply services to NRWB.

By Robert Malaya

Chiradzulu, August 8, Mana: Chiradzulu District Council has handed over 15 Community Based Childcare Centers (CBCCs) worth K800 million to communities in the district under Investing in Early Years Project (IEYP).

Speaking during the handover ceremony which took place at Jumbe Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Likoswe on Monday, Vice Council Chairperson Councilor Charles Chigwenembe said the CBCCs will play a critical role in promoting child development education in the district as communities' access to CBCCs has now been upgraded.

"These new CBCCs mean a lot to communities in Chiradzulu. We now have 15 CBCCs spread across the district to offer Early Child Development (ECD) education as part of human capital development in line with Agenda 2063. Now, more children will be accommodated and have improved access to early education," said Chigwenembe.

Group Village Headman Chilambe welcomed the development describing it as timely and transformative as children in the area had no ECD knowledge.

"We, therefore, pledge to continue working together with fellow local authorities and the communities that we mobilise more children to attend these schools," he said.

The CBCC structures which have been constructed with funding from World Bank under IEYP project have three classrooms, an office, hygienic toilets and a kitchen.