The Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe has today distributed cash and flour to people affected by hunger in Nkhotakota district.

Speaking during the distribution exercise at Traditional Authority Mwanzama in the district, CADECOM Acting Secretary in the Lilongwe Archdiocese, Madalitso Chilalire, said the exercise is part of responding to the call by the President of Malawi to assist people who have been affected by hunger in the country.

According to Chilalire, CADECOM decided to reach out to the people of Nkhotakota district, as it is one of the districts that has been affected by hunger due to prolonged dry spells and flooding, which have impacted many people in the area.

“Last year, we did not receive much rainfall due to El Niño, which resulted in low harvests across the country. Consequently, the President of Malawi appealed to the donor community for assistance, and the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, through CADECOM, appealed to Caritas International for support, which led to the fundraising of the money we are distributing today,” Chilalire explained.

CADECOM has also urged the beneficiaries to use the support they have received to address the problems their families are facing.

Parish Priest for Benga Parish, Father Steve Ochieng, who represented Archbishop George Tambala of the Lilongwe Archdiocese, said that as the Catholic Church, they will continue to help people facing numerous challenges in their daily lives.

“This is our commitment as the archdiocese. We will not leave them alone because we see their suffering, so we need to address those sufferings that people are experiencing in their areas,” Father Ochieng emphasized.

In his remarks, Traditional Authority Mwanzama applauded CADECOM for their gesture, saying that it has come at the right time, as many people in his area have been affected by hunger.

The beneficiaries from area of Lipenga ,Suluwi and Mwachipapa have received 100,000 Kwacha per household, and others have received a bag of porridge flour for those who have babies

CADECOM is conducting food crisis project with funding support from Caritas International Organization.

By Titus Jata Phiri.

The Global Health Corps hopes the introduction of mental health learners’ clubs in various schools can play a crucial role in addressing mental health problems in the country.

 

The organization’s Country Director Symon Simkoko, says as the country is facing a rise in mental health problems, it is critical for authorities to bang heads and come up with strategies likely to improve the situation.

 

“It is so clear that the numbers of mental health cases are rising, particularly the suicide cases. Yesterday, we had a meeting with the ministry of health, and they indicated that there’s a rise mainly amongst the young people”

 

“So, if there is a rise in cases of suicide, which is quite a big sign of mental health, it means we need to take a step and start targeting schools”

 

Simkoko is hopeful that taking mental health concepts to schools will provide a platform for learners to have interactive sessions where they can share personal challenges, some of the coping resilience and improve their performance in school.

 

During the training of the trainer’s workshop on Saturday at Bwaila Secondary School in Lilongwe, Esther Tauzi, a teacher at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School and also a member of psychosocial group, mentioned some issues that pose to be a trap for students to find themselves in mental health challenges.

 

“Like our school, it’s a boarding school. One of the major challenges sometimes is their needs in terms of groceries, they don’t have pocket money, sometimes other students are coming from one parent family and most of the time they say maybe I’m thinking of what is happening at home, you hear issues of divorces at home, they affect the students”

 

“Even performance itself, they also take it to mental health because when they think maybe like Lilongwe Girls Secondary School, it’s a national secondary school, they expect to have high grades and when they see lower grade, it affects that particular student”

 

In her remarks, Faridah Zalimba, cited that students sometimes fail to share their personal challenges with others due to trust issues.

 

Zalimba hopes that having such trainings can help to address mental health problems among students in the country.

 

“It’s really helpful because through these sessions, people attend or engage with others, chilling, that helps us to clear our minds a lot. Some have, like, some exercises and some other stuff like that” she explained.

 

Representatives from 11 selected secondary schools from Lilongwe central west education division, have been trained to train others on mental health through the clubs that will be formed in their schools

Health authorities say Malawi has managed to reduce maternal deaths from 400 plus to about 380 this year out of 100 thousand pregnant women.

Bwaila hospital senior nursing officer Chikondi Mkandawire Undi, disclosed this today at Bwaila hospital when the minister of health from Liberia paid a learning visit to appreciate best practices that have contributed to the reduction of maternal deaths in the country.

Undi cited that the main purpose of the visit of the Minister from Liberia was to appreciate what the facility is doing in terms of reducing maternal as well as neonatal mortality rate, and also to learn from what they are doing, especially the practices that they are implementing.

“As of this year, the current status right now, it’s around 381. That’s right now in this year of 2024, so it means we have reduced from 400 something, to this state. So that’s why they got alarmed to see what have our friends done in their facility as well as the country, to reduce the maternal rate from that level to this state that we are in.” explained Undi.

Undi says despite the reduction, the facility continues to face numerous challenges especially the issue of the resources.

“Inconsistent supply of the essential equipment as well as medicines that we may need to proceed in taking care of the mothers that have health issues in connection with their status. Yeah, as well as the work overload is too much. The human resource is not enough. We do not have enough nurses, midwives to take care of mothers. We do have enough mothers that come here.”

She added that “In a month, at times, we deliver close to around 2,000 something babies. And in 24 hours, at times, we reach up to 80. That’s against 10 midwives. So, for them to provide that comprehensive care is a challenge. But we are still trying our best at least to provide that care at least of that standard so that the mothers should have the well-baby, and the mother should be fine as well.”

In her remarks, the visiting minister Dr Louise M Kpoto expressed her hope that the visit will help her country improve the maternal services at the same time reducing the maternal mortality rate.

“We have a high maternal mortality. So, I’ve asked the honorable minister to allow me to come here, see some of the best practices that has been in place in this country for my country also to improve upon.” Kpoto explained.

Kpoto added “I’ve observed that there’s a high volume of patients and yet and still they have a good referral system, and it manages these patients. I also observed that they have a NICU that is managed very well, and they have everything that is needed for the NICU to be functional.”

Malawi is said to be among the best countries in Africa with low maternal mortality rate.

 

By Lester Mhone