Author: Radio Alinafe

Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda says government is committed in eradicating Malaria in the country.

Chiponda was speaking at a press briefing today in Lilongwe, marking the commemoration of Malaria Day and SADC Malaria Week respectively.

The minister cited that government together with its partners are implementing various Malaria prevention interventions across the country.

“The state president Dr Lazarus Chakwera launched the ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me Campaign.’ We have been distributing treatable mosquito nets to pregnant women and we do that with support from our partners like World Vision, Momentum, Global Fund, USAID and many more partners. We introduced insecticide residual spray in some districts like Nkhotakota, we give Fansidar to pregnant women and also the recent one is the Malaria vaccine,” she said.

On the other hand, the minister called for concerted efforts among stakeholders in the health sector, donor community and the communities at large if the country and the SADC region at large is to end Malaria by the year 2030.

On his part World Vision chief of party for global fund, Grant Bizwick Mwale praised the significance outcome the insecticide spray intervention has brought in areas which they are currently working.

“We spray the insecticide in the walls of their houses. We have been in the districts of Balaka, Mangochi, Nkhatabay and Nkhotakota. I think for three years now, we have seen a decrease in a number of Malaria cases and Malaria deaths which is quite very good. We are quiet very good with the results, the communities are very happy with the results,” he said.

Malawi is said to lose about five people daily especially the under 5 children and pregnant women due to Malaria.

By Lester Mhone

The Reserve Bank of Malawi has called on the general public to start investing their finance in order to make themselves and the country independent.

RBM governor, Dr Wilson Banda made the remarks on Monday 06th November 2023 during the launch of this year’s Savings Awareness Week held under the theme “Save Today – Live Better Tomorrow” in the Capital Lilongwe.

Dr Banda cited that the country is not saving much as compared to other countries in the SADC region which makes the citizenry to continue being poor especially when they meet unforeseeable events such as funerals.

“Our saving rates are very low, translating to low investments and hence the low GDP. We need to have savings for the rainy day,” highlighted Dr Banda.

Dr Banda has pleaded with the public especially those that earn less monthly to start investing the less they get saying this will help them to boost their finances.

“At any level of income, there’s room to save. The mere fact that your salary is low, should in itself be a motivational for you to save. Because once you save, you basically built your wealth. From that wealth you generate more income,” concluded Dr Banda.

In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer for Malawi Stock Exchange, John Kamanga disclosed that they are meeting with the general public through various initiatives which are aimed to address them the need for them to save whatever they have.

Kamanga cited that the country can easily develop economically if the citizenry put their attention in saving whatever they gain.

“Once you participate in these products, you are also part and parcel of the economic development of the country. What happens is that you be in apposition to create wealth of your own but at the same time you’ll be in apposition to distribute wealth to among many Malawians who will be participating in the capital markets,” said Kamanga.

The 2023 Savings Awareness Week has been organized by the Reserve Bank of Malawi in order to let the citizenry understand what savings really means.

Among activities which will be practiced during the week includes arranging meetings in schools and markets.

By Eric Norman Mkwaira

The Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Fr. Valeriano Mtseka has assured the laity and the citizenry in the country that the church is taking some steps in order to help the demands and needs of the people in the country.

Fr. Mtseka made the remarks on Friday, 20^th October 2023 after a press briefing on Mission Sunday held at Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe.

Fr. Mtseka says the continuing demands for many people to register their children to Catholic secondary schools shows that the country is now looking much in education.

“Many people are flocking to our schools; they want to get their children enrolled to our school. As a church we know that this is a need and so we have to find a way to respond to this need,” Fr. Mtseka said.

Fr. Mtseka says this year’s Mission Sunday will help in reminding the laity to contribute money in order to assist the church to build more infrastructures.

In his remarks, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, the Very Reverend Father Vincent Mwakhwawa says that as the archdiocese they are planning to build more secondary schools in each deanery as it has been seen that some deaneries lack these infrastructures.

Fr. Mwakhwawa says that some deaneries especially from rural areas do not have access to education as they do not have catholic secondary schools.

“In our Archdiocese we have about 7 deaneries and maybe most of the Catholic schools are in one deanery. This means that the other 6 deaneries may need a school in each deanery,” Fr Mwakhwawa added.

Fr. Mwakhwawa has also disclosed that the Archdiocese of Lilongwe is looking forward to maximise production and adding value to other sectors which includes farming among others.

The Catholic church in the country performs a huge role in making sure that people are receiving good services through its commissions and industries which include Catholic Centres, Catholic Development Commission in Malawi, Catholic Health Commission and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace among others.

By Eric Norman Mkwaira

World Bank Country Manager for Malawi, Hugh Riddell says Malawi is at the verge of disaster if its citizens will not be empowered to stop cutting down trees carelessly for a living.

Riddell sounded this recently in Lilongwe at a Landscape Restoration Forum which was held under the theme “Scaling-Up Financing for Forest Landscape Restoration in Malawi”.

“80% of land in Malawi is in degraded which means less productivity for farmers, less access to water, so we are really destroying the future of Malawi if we follow on on this.”

Ridell cited that Malawi can deal with the problem at hand if its citizens have been provided with other income generating activities, as currently they are forced to destroy the environment due to poverty.

“I agree that the majority of people hardest by degradation are in rural areas but let’s be honest if you look to the access to water in Lilongwe, the destruction of Dzalanyama forest and other catchment areas, that impact cities a lot and on top of that cities rely on charcoal, illegal charcoal burning, for cooking. So, it’s not a problem of rural areas only.”

He suggests the need for empowering the citizenry with small scale alternatives that would help them find their daily bread so that they stop cutting down trees.

“We need to give them other income opportunities, to be more efficient how they plant their maize or other sources of legume vegetables or small-scale animal farming.”

“We all saw the destruction of cyclone Freddy and one reason is that there was no forest on the hilltop, there was flooding destroying people’s lives. We see rainy season coming, there’s 4.4 million people going hungry if we don’t find food and one reason is low productivity. We see actually the results of degradation we are doing; we have to help people to get jobs.”

The World Bank Country Manager for Malawi has committed to continue supporting the country in forest restoration interventions.

Malawi has set a target of restoring about 4.5 million trees by the year 2030.

by Lester Mhone

Stakeholders working in the environmental sector have stressed the need for empowering the local communities economically as one way of dealing with environmental degradation in the country.

This has been sounded at a Landscape Restoration Forum on Thursday in Lilongwe held under the theme “Scaling up Financing for Forest Landscape Restoration in Malawi,” where different stakeholders in the sector bowled down their heads on what Malawi can do to make strides in restoring the natural resources.

World Bank Country Manager for Malawi, Hugh Riddell cited that World Bank is understanding challenges the country is facing due to environmental depletion hence its commitment in supporting the government of Malawi with various interventions to deal with climate challenges.

He singled out that for the fight to be won, there is a need for empowering the marginalized citizenry with social protection, increased generation of energy and improved overall health of the economy among others.

In a separate interview, one of the environmentalists in the country, Maloto Chinkombero says empowering the local communities with different initiatives especially those surrounding protected areas such as National Parks and Game Reserves is one of the interventions that government and other stakeholders should champion to win the battle of conserving the environment.

Chinkombero is in conversant with the sentiments that poverty is among the fueling factors forcing the local communities to venture in destroying the environment.

He added by urging government to come up with policies that should be used in facilitating the interventions to be lined up in empowering the local communities economically.

Meanwhile, principal secretary in the ministry of natural resources and climate change, Dr Yusuf Mkungula has disclosed that Malawi intends to restore about 4.5 million trees by the year 2030.

Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at German Embassy Lilongwe, Knut Gummert has advised different stakeholders to work hand in hand in addressing forest landscape restoration initiatives.

By Lester Mhone