MANAonline
Blantyre DHO calls for advocacy on mental health
By Evance Chisiano
Blantyre, October 10, Mana: Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) on Thursday commemorated World Mental Health Day with a call to advocacy to prioritizing mental health at workplace where, the health office, says most workers are stressed without proper mechanism to address their condition.
The day, which falls on October 10, was commemorated at Gateway Clinic near Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre.
Blantyre DHO mental health nursing officers and a Mental Health Specialist, Dr. Precious Makiyi, gave mental health talks under the commemoration theme: It’s time to priorities mental health in the workplace; health workforce is the best workforce.
Makiyi said there is need to create a conducive work environment to ease stress among workers, which leads to depression thereby affecting production.
He emphasized on the need for employers to monitor workload, unfavorable work conditions and poor work relations with other workers.
He observed that stress and depression leads to mental health associated disorders that lead to workers opting for suicide if proper mechanism such as psychosocial support and counseling are not in place.
Makiyi called upon workers to open up whenever they are bothered with issues that can be addressed at workplace other than suffering in isolation and silence.
“Mostly we take care of physical health ignoring mental health. There is a link between physical health and mental health. Mental health affects physical health; there is no health without mental health,” he said.
Gateway Clinic attends to mental health clients from Monday to Friday to assess mental health status and offer counselling.
Makiyi, therefore, called on people in Blantyre to visit the clinic for mental health checkup and referrals to other mental health facilities for further attention.
Mental Health Nursing Officer, Nellie Gobola Bowa, called on employers in various work places to open opportunities for mental health talks, recreational activities and other lighter moments to workers to ease depression and other factors that lead to mental health disorder.
“At least 15 adults in work places are depressed,” she said and called on people in work places to avoid stigmatizing and discriminating against those with mental health issues.
Deputy Minister of Health, Halima Daud, on Wednesday held a press conference in Lilongwe on mental health and observed that mental well-being at work place is often overlooked despite mental health being a critical issue.
World Mental Health Day was observed for the first time in 1992 and Malawi joins the world in observing the day in recent years.
Govt urges community to take ownership of project
By Richard Kagunda
Kasungu, October 10, Mana: Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Yusuf Mkungula has appealed to people in Kasungu and Mzimba districts to take ownership of the Climate Resilience In Malawi (CRIM) project in order for them to fully benefit from it.
Mkungula said this on Wednesday when he presided over the launch of the second phase of the CRIM project at Chimaliro Primary School ground in the area of Senior Chief Kaluluma in Kasungu district.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change in conjunction with the United Nations Development Project has launched the second phase of the CRIM project with funding from Flanders government to assist people fighting climate change.
"We urge people to develop a feeling of ownership towards the project and take full responsibility because they are the ones to benefit from it.
"The project is very important to the people and to us as a ministry since it is contributing to our strategies and objectives in conserving and managing natural resources in the country and management of climate change in general," Mkungula said.
Mkungula applauded the Flanders government for funding the project and expressed gratitude to the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) for being a good development partner for Malawi.
He expressed optimism that the second phase of the project will bring about a greater impact.
UNDP Resident Representative in Malawi, Fenella Frost, said besides capacitating communities in resilience against climate change, the second phase of the project will also focus on promoting local entrepreneurship by assisting farmers to have access to markets.
"During the first phase of the project, people managed to cultivate crops using irrigation, constructed ponds for fishery and their products are of good quality. However, it has been a challenge to find markets. That is why we are now geared to deal with this problem in the second phase of the project," Frost said.
Member of Parliament for Kasungu North, Mike Bango, said the first phase of the CRIM project has been beneficial to people in his area especially farmers and he urged the them to utilize the second phase of the project to eradicate hunger in their households.
"There are numerous benefits that the first phase of the project brought about. We have seen people embarking on irrigation agriculture, fishery and more but I still urge them to do more," Bango said.
Flanders government has pumped in 2.5 million Euros for the second phase of the CRIM project.
CCJP calls for promotion of women in 2025 polls
By Agatha Kadzinje
Blantyre, October 10, Mana: Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has emphasized on the need for all religious groups to spread messages that encourage women to contest in the upcoming elections.
In an interview with the Malawi News Agency (Mana), Thursday, National Coordinator for CCJP, Boniface Chibwana, said development cannot be achieved if a larger section of the population is not well represented
“The population of women in Malawi is slightly higher than men, with women making up to 52%. For this reason, it is imperative that the churches encourage women they congregate with to actively participate in decision making processes, including politics at local, constituency and presidential level,” he said.
Chibwana said religious groups should engage with traditional leaders and political parties to understand the importance of equal participation of men and women in leadership positions.
“Condemnation of women that have the passion to contest in leadership by religious leaders should be discouraged as this may lead to women dropping out and even violence against them from other quarters. Therefore, churches should start initiating conversations that appreciate women who have shown interest to contest in the 2025 elections,” Chibwana said.
He disclosed that CCJP has a project called ‘Women Participation in Politics’ which identifies and provides solutions to challenges that women face such as social-cultural barriers and stereotypes, when they want to contest in leadership positions.
In a separate interview with Mana, political analyst Victor Chipofya, emphasized that religion will continue to downplay the role of women in leadership positions unless churches shift from preaching about women’s submission.
“Religions that emphasize women’s submission tend to discourage women who want to pursue leadership positions because they fear being seen as rebellious. Religions should initiate topics that empower women,” he said.
Chipofya pointed out that the negative effect of religion on women participation in politics cannot be easily changed, but it is possible to change this perception with time.
“What would accelerate this change is women standing up themselves to take up positions of leadership and proving that they can excel,” he said.
He added that women should not expect power or positions to be handed to them rather they must fight and step up to get that power, only then change will be seen in upcoming elections.
Religion remains one of the key issues that play a role in shaping political participation and development in Malawi.
Minister applauds farmers for contributing K1.7 billion
By Andrew Mkonda & Mwai Kumanda
Lilongwe, October 10, Mana: Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, has applauded farmers from Lilongwe District Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) for prioritizing farming and being able to raise K1.7 billion for farm inputs for the 2024/2025 growing season.
Kawale made the remarks Wednesday at Phiri la Njuzi Primary School Ground in the area of Senior Chief Masumbankhunda in the district during the farmers’ resource mobilization and distribution ceremony.
He admired what the farmers have done appealing to other farmers across the country to emulate the initiative in order to curb hunger in the country.
“Today we are here to witness a game changer in the agriculture sector which is an extremely exciting innovative way of mobilizing resources to prepare for the next farming season.
“What the farmers have raised is quite a huge amount of money that has never been contributed by any group in the country in preparation for farm inputs. I, therefore, congratulate all the farmers who participated in the initiative. This is the way to go,” said Kawale.
He said the farmers’ initiative clearly demonstrates their commitment towards farming in the district and pledged the ministry’s support towards such initiatives.
Chairperson for Lilongwe District Agriculture Stakeholder Panel (DASP), Joyce James Chikakheni, encouraged farmers to continue working together in order to benefit from farming.
“I want to encourage my fellow farmers in all the EPAs to work together in unity and cooperation as we have done in raising this amount.
“If all the farmers across the country can start what we have done, then farmers can start enjoying benefits of farming,” she said.
Senior Chief Masumbankhunda urged his subjects to stop selling farm land saying it is counterproductive.
“We cannot talk of having high yields if we do not have land where we can grow crops. Selling farm land is contributing to hunger in the country,” said the chief.
Farmers Resource Mobilization Initiative will, among other benefits, enable farmers access improved farm inputs, cut transportation costs since they get direct deliveries and avoid purchase of counterfeit farm inputs.
Irrigation farmers appeal for subsidized farm input
By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa
Lilongwe, October 10, Mana: Irrigation farmers in the northern and southern regions have asked government to consider introducing subsidized farm inputs targeting them, saying the initiative can help the country attain food security.
The farmers made the appeal during a recent visit by Malawi News Agency (Mana) to various irrigation schemes in the northern and southern regions of the country where various crops are under irrigation.
Chairperson for Chakalamba Irrigation Scheme in Traditional Authority Nkhulambe in Phalombe District, Henry Tebulo said government should consider supporting irrigation farmers with cheaper farm inputs.
“I ask government to support irrigation farmers across the country at the start of our season in March with subsidized farm inputs, in the same way it does with rain fed agriculture farmers” he said.
Tebulo hailed government and some Non-Governmental Organizations for helping irrigation farming through revamping, maintaining and extending existing schemes as well as establishing new ones.
He noted that schemes are playing a major role in alleviating hunger amongst many households in the country.
“Before our irrigation scheme came into existence, we experienced hunger year in and out especially when rains fail, now we can boast of having enough food for ourselves and surplus for sale” he said.
Tebulo noted that currently farmers under irrigation in the area have acquired assets such as houses, motorbikes and cars, among others.
He however observed that with the prevailing prices of farm inputs on the market, irrigation farmers are facing serious challenges accessing the inputs, which puts irrigation farming at a disadvantage.
Concurring with Tebulo, President for Zombe Irrigation Scheme in TA KampingoSibande in Mzimba District, Joyce Kanyaso, said irrigation farming can thrive in the country if inputs are accessed cheaply.
“If government considers to extend the Affordable Input Program (AIP) to irrigation farmers in our season, then be assured that hunger will become history.
“We have water sources and idle land our area which can be utilized but the rising cost of farm input is betraying us. Government needs to come in with support” she said.
Kanyaso hailed government recent effort to promote irrigation farming through renovations of schemes and training of farmers, noting this will gradually lead to food sufficiency.
She said with effects of climate change currently being experienced, rains have increasingly become unreliable and that irrigation farming is the way to go.
Deputy Director of Irrigation Services at the Department of Irrigation, Engineer Anderson Mbozi said the irrigation potential in the country stands at about 407 862 hectares.
He said as at 30 August, 2024, 40 636 hectares was under irrigated crop production representing 60. 5 percent of total developed area and 70 percent of targeted area of scheme utilization.
Mbozi said currently the department provides support to smallholder farmers to ensure maximum utilization of the irrigation schemes by facilitating farmer mobilization groups, reorganization and monitoring of groups, among others.
The visit took Malawi News Agency to irrigation in Mzimba, Nkhata-bay, Zomba and Phalombe districts.
Area 50 WUA concerned over increased meter theft affecting operations
By Leonard Masauli
Lilongwe, October 10, Mana: Area 50 Water Users Association (A50-WUA) has expressed concern over the growing trend of meter theft, which is negatively impacting the organization’s operations.
The issue was discussed during the association's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lilongwe, where members reflected on the association’s performance.
A50-WUA Vice Board Chairperson, Solomon Zulu, revealed that the association’s revenue had declined, with K235 million collected in the 2022/2023 financial year compared to K210 million in 2023/2024.
He attributed the reduction in revenue to an increase in meter theft and the illegal sale of water by individuals in local communities.
“At today’s AGM, we reviewed our performance over the past year. Unfortunately, the rise in meter theft and tampering has severely impacted our operations.
“Additionally, individuals selling water privately are contributing to our revenue loss. We are urging Water Board and the police to assist us in addressing these issues,” said Zulu.
Maliya Ward Councillor, Patrick Makumba, thanked members at the AGM for identifying key areas that need improvement.
“I am impressed with the progress report from A50-WUA. Despite the revenue drop compared to last year, illegal water sales and meter theft are major challenges that are affecting our revenues. However, we are working hard to combat these practices,” said Makumba.
He mentioned that the association plans to diversify its operations by constructing private toilets as an additional source of revenue, beyond just selling water.
Rampant increase in defilement cases annoys Mchinji Police
By Majona Jabesi Mnjuzi
Mchinji, October 10, Mana: Mchinji Police has expressed dissatisfaction with the alarming increase in defilement cases in the district this year.
This has been revealed through in a recent report presented on Wednesday during the Station Executive Forum (SEF) meeting.
The report indicates a troubling spike in incidents with a 32.2 percent increase between January and September, 2024 compared to 22.2 percent within the same period year lastr year.
Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police who is also Officer in Charge for Mchinji Police Station, John Nkhoma, attributed the increase to the culture of silence where many cases remain unreported.
“We have a big problem of defilement, especially in villages. So, I advise chiefs and the community that these are police cases and are not supposed to be handled by traditional courts but reported to police,” he said.
Senior Chief Dambe, and other local leaders, echoed Nkhoma’s sentiments stressing the importance of mutual relationship and collaboration in addressing such crime in society.
“There is need for collective responsibility to safeguard the safety of our community. We need to foster an environment where safety and protection will be granted. So, we should be vigilant and play a watchdog role in our community for proper handling of various criminal cases in the district," said Senior Chief Dambe.
Mchinji District Council representative, Wilfred Gambatula, pledged to enhance collaboration with the police and all community stakeholders to ease the challenges.
While commending the police for their effort to reduce other crime rates in Mchinji, Gambatula urged the police to put an extra gear to address crimes.
Among other issues, the report revealed that from January to September 2024, Mchinji Police Station registered a decrease in reported criminal cases by 2.5 percent from 736 cases registered in 2023 to 717 cases registered in 2024.
Road accidents also decreased by 10.2 percent from 39 in 2023 to 35 in 2024 within the same period.
VP Usi Upbeat on Morocco/Malawi Agriculture Pact
By Emmanuel Munthali
Vice President Dr. Michael Bizwick Usi has hailed the memorandum of understanding between Malawi and Morocco on Agriculture as crucial in opening many avenues of cooperation between Lilongwe and Rabat.
The Vice President said this yesterday when he met Dr. Mohamed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests on the sidelines of the African Consultation meeting ahead of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference in June 2025. The conference has ended.
Malawi and Morocco signed the agreement recently to enable the two countries to cooperate on areas of agricultural development and modernization.
“It is pleasing to note that relations between the two countries continue to grow from strength to strength. We will take opportunity of this visit for our technical team to further discuss with your technical teams on our cooperation,” said the Vice President.
The Vice President lured Morocco for investment opportunities, saying the agriculture sector accounts for 80 percent of the country’s exports for Moroccan investors to explore.
Taking his turn, Dr. Sadik said Morocco was more than ready to cooperate with Malawi on a number of areas in the agriculture sector.
“Mr. Vice President, there are a lot of areas that Malawi and Morocco can work together. These areas include training, capacity building, research, and preservation of natural resources.” He said.
Forum commends Dowa on paediatric HIV response
By Sylvester Kumwenda
Dowa, October 10, Mana: HIV and AIDS Malawi Partnership Forum (MPF) has commended Dowa district for strides being made in paediatric HIV response and integration of HIV and AIDS related interventions.
National AIDS Commission (NAC) Director of HIV and AIDS Programmes, Chimwewe Mablekisi, made the remarks in an interview during a joint visit to Dowa District Hospital and Madisi Mission Hospital, ahead of the 2023/2024 Joint Annual Review of the Health Sector and National Response to HIV and AIDS.
She said as a platform that annually reports, takes stock of progress and appreciates challenges and lessons learnt in the health sector including HIV Programming.
"We meet at the central level and only get reports. So, this visit was for the MPF to have a hands on feeling of what is happening on the ground on HIV response, particularly paediatric HIV response and integration of HIV and AIDS to other health services like Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and mental health.
"Dowa is one of the districts that is doing very well in pediatric HIV response, in case finding, initiating children on treatment and ensuring that viral load tests are taken and results are provided in good time," she said.
However, Mablekisi, noted the need to increase number of HTS counsellors and train more health workers to provide STI and HIV testing and related services in the district.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Dr Nertha Semphere Mgala, encouraged male involvement in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and also to fight the stigma surrounding Antiretroviral Therapy to improve drug adherence.
She called for pediatric HIV response for a multi-sectoral approach towards HIV and AIDS response.
"The fight against HIV and AIDS is not a one-sector fight; we cannot win like that. We need all sectors to be actively involved and collaborate if we are to make progress," she said.
Dowa District Hospital Senior Medical Officer, Dr Mallen Machika, said of the almost million people in the district, only two percent are living with HIV and AIDS.
She said the positivity yield after testing is also less than two percent.
Machika said this has been achieved because of interventions targeting the reduction of transmission.
"If we have undetectable levels, where the viral load of HIV positive patients is suppressed, we will minimize the chances of transmission.
"This is something we also thrive on in the prevention of mother to child transmission programme. An HIV positive pregnant woman adhering to drugs lowers her viral load, therefore the child to be born is less likely to get infected. This results in very few vertical transmissions," she said.
World Vision donates bicycles to savings groups
By Richard Kagunda
Kasungu, October 10, Mana: World Vision Malawi on Tuesday donated 60 bicycles to community volunteers who are supporting Village Savings and Loans (VSLs) groups in the area of Senior Chief Chulu in Kasungu District as a way of mitigating mobility challenges for them.
Speaking during the handover ceremony that took place at Chulu Trading Centre, World Vision’s Programme Manager for Kasungu, Arnold Tsalayekha, said they decided to provide the pushbikes to ensure that volunteers are serving all the VSLs with ease.
"Each volunteer is covering several groups and that means a large geographical area and with mobility problems, their work cannot be as effective as required.
"VSLs are self-sustainable but we decided to come in and assist people in the communities in terms of financial literacy and we are trying to equip the volunteers to be getting in touch with the groups quite often for us to achieve our goal," Tsalayekha said.
According to Tsalayekha, the organization has spent almost K20 million to purchase the bicycles but was optimistic that the outcomes will surpass the cost.
Chairperson for Chulu Area Development Committee, Jacob Kawaza expressed excitement for what he described as a timely donation from World Vision Malawi.
"We are extremely excited to have received these bicycles. It is something we have always wanted to have and will encourage us to work hard and make our VSLs grow," Kawaza said.
One of the volunteers, Peter Phiri said the bicycle he got would enable him get hard to reach places.
He appealed to men in the area to join the VSLs and change their mindset that these groups are meant for women.
World Vision Malawi is implementing a 15-year project called Mtchenda Livelihoods and Resilience in the area of Senior Chief Chulu in the district, which among other objectives seeks to promote an entrepreneurial culture that would help communities graduate from poverty.
The project which is funded by World Vision USA commenced in 2013 and is expected to phase out in 2028.
