By Rosalia Kapiri

Lilongwe, September 17, Mana: As Malawi gears up to host the Global Fund Board Meeting in November, a team preparing for the mega event embarked on a site visit on Tuesday, touring various health facilities in Lilongwe. The team visited the Kamuzu Central Hospital's Lighthouse, Area 25 Health Centre’s KP Drop-in Centre, and the National Reference Laboratory.

Global Fund, a worldwide initiative dedicated to combating HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, has played a significant role in Malawi's healthcare progress. The country showcases numerous achievements from Global Fund-supported programs in these areas.

During the site visit at Kamuzu Central Hospital’s Lighthouse, Medical Director Dr. Ethel Rambiki shared insights into the facility’s operations.

"The Lighthouse is a public trust strategically positioned in central hospitals, and we have been operating for 20 years. We receive referrals from districts and provide complex HIV care management, prevention, and treatment services. Currently, we have over 89,000 recipients of care across the nation under the Lighthouse Trust, with vital support from organizations like the Global Fund," explained Dr. Rambiki.

Joseph Bitilinyu, Deputy Director in the Ministry of Health, emphasized the critical role the Global Fund has played in advancing diagnostic capabilities in Malawi.

He said: “Before the Global Fund’s assistance, we had to send samples to South Africa for testing pandemics like COVID-19 and cholera, which was costly. Now, the National Reference Lab is capable of diagnosing these pandemics on its own. Thanks to the Global Fund, we have four sites that can detect TB, enabling us to provide test results in time as well as targeted treatments. Similar support is offered for HIV treatments, helping us monitor patient responses in real time.”

Rhoda Banda, Deputy Manager of the Global Fund-Gavi Program Implementation Unit, highlighted the long-standing partnership between Malawi and the Global Fund.

“We’ve partnered with Malawi since 2002. With the current Cycle 7 support, the focus includes laboratory systems, which ensures sustainable support that complements the government’s efforts," Banda said.

The Global Fund team will continue their site visits on Wednesday, with planned tours of Matapira Health Centre for integrated services and CLM, as well as Nanthenje Health Centre, including its CSCP program and mobile van services.

Malawi, known as the “Warm Heart of Africa,” looks forward to showcasing its achievements and progress in healthcare at the upcoming Global Fund Board Meeting.

By Prisca P. Mashushu

Lilongwe, September 17, MANA: Security expert Aubrey Kabisala has condemned mob justice in the country as it is against the laws of the country.

In an interview with Malawi news agency (MANA), Aubrey Kabisala emphasized that mob justice brings tremendous implications and destroys evidence of people committing crimes, hence denying natural justice that is given to offenders of the law to defend themselves.

“The participants of mob justice are also offending the law, which is also a challenge rather, people should avoid taking the laws into their own hands.

"People should be encouraged to report to police any misconduct that is happening in their perspective communities as one way of reducing issues of mob justice in the country,” Kabisala said.

He further said mob justice is not a solution for offenders of the law rather, people should allow them to follow the right procedures and obtain justice for both offenders of the law and the victims.

Meanwhile, Lucky Mbewe who is a social commentator said that everything is happening due to a lack of trust from the right stakeholders by the natives which is also a burden to people who seek justice from offenders of the law hence a need to build trust between people and lawmakers.

He further said that despite mob justice becoming rampant the Malawi police service and the courts of the nation are working tirelessly to bring justice to the victims and prevent mob justice in the nation.

“I would like to appeal to Malawians, to make sure to remember that capital punishment is not acceptable by the laws of the country and if anyone is misbehaving, allow the police to address the problem,” he said.

By Doreen Chiwalo

Mwanza, September 17, Mana: Action Aid through its Tipindule Project has expressed satisfaction with Village Savings and Loans (VSL) groups in Mwanza District.

The VSL groups are, among others, making progress by making profits through savings and loans; saying this is the right direction in economic empowerment at the household level in the district.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Tuesday, Action Aid Project Field Facilitator, Gift Kifwamba said he was impressed to note that huge sums of money expected to be shared soon have been saved by the groups but started with a small amount.

“I am very grateful to see people in rural areas like learn about savings of up to K3.3 million in the form of shares in their bank account because it will help individuals to buy food, a development which is in line with the project’s area of focus,” said Kifwamba.

He deplored misinformation among some people who take VSLs as an agenda for women only, instead, he encouraged male counterparts in the district to join so that poverty is reduced in their households.

Secretary for Chimwemwe VSL group from Lipenga Village in Inkosi Kanduku Maseko’s area, Joyce Chilekwa said before joining the group she was unable to buy some basic needs for her household.

However, she said since she joined the VSL she has been able to buy a bag of fertilizer ahead of the farming season which will help her to harvest high yields and sell the surplus to pay school fees for her children.

“Before joining this group, life was very hard because I had a family to look after as well as school fees to pay but now, I get a soft loan from the group and solve such problems,” said Chilekwa.

She also encouraged her fellow women who are yet to join VSLs instead of relying on ‘katapira’ where interest rates are unreasonably high.

Chimwemwe VSL group was established in January 2021 and now has 15 members and their savings are expected to be shared in December this year.

By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, September 17, Mana: Center for Advancement of Youth Empowerment (CAYE) a local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) based in Mzuzu says there is need for a collaborated effort in providing required necessities to Community Based Childcare Centers (CBCC).

CAYE Executive Director Aaaron Kumwenda, made the call Tuesday in Dzalanyama in the area of Traditional Authority Masula in Lilongwe during a meeting with Masula Community Based Organization Network Executive Committee members.

Kumwenda noted that many CBCC in the country do not have required materials for both learning and teaching the children, a development he said is worrisome.

“We are intending to work hand in hand with 20 CBCC in the area of Traditional Authority Masula by among other things, establishing backyard gardens and woodlots so that Caregivers should be raising some money from it, for their upkeep and providing nutritious food to the children,” he said.

Kumwenda further said the project intended to build capacity building among Caregivers and at the same time reduce the teacher-pupil ratio in these CBCCs which he said it is still very high.

“We noted that in TA Masula, there are over 80 CBCCs, but out of 15 Caregivers that were trained in 2015, only three Caregivers are still working. This means that in other CBCCs, children just go there to play, which is bad,” he said.

Commenting on the matter, Masula Community Based Organization Chairperson Shaviel Grevazio said there is need to improve CBCCs infrastructure saying many of them are in dilapidated state.

Grevazio then thanked CAYE for planning to carry out different interventions of CBCCs in the area, a development he said will increase enrolment of children in CBCCs.

Speaking in a separate interview, Child protection worker in Traditional Authority Masula Friday Chawantha thanked CAYE for the initiative saying it will boost CCBCs activities in the area.

Chawantha then asked CAYE to consider training Caregivers and provide them with necessary teaching and learning materials saying many of them are not trained making their job difficult.

“The team of Caregivers that we have now have got passion on their job, but the main challenge is that they are not well supported. We want to thank CAYE for coming in to complement government’s efforts in improving the standards of CBCCs in the country,” he said.

CAYE is working in improving the standard of CBCCs in Traditional Authority Masula in Lilongwe with funding from Their World Charity Fund in the United Kingdom.

By Zenak Matekenya

Dedza, September 17, Mana: Chief Youth Officer in the Ministry of Youth Doreen Mbendela has commended UNFPA for tailor-made programs targeting young people living with HIV and AIDS.

She made the remarks on Monday in Dedza during the opening of a week-long Trainer of Trainers and Piloting Workshop on the iCAN package for young people living with HIV funded by UFPA.

Mbendela said the ministry struggles to support young people living with HIV and Aids as most funders bring projects that target youth in general.

“National youth policy advocates for healthy living for young people and our key priority target group is young people living with HIV and Aids. However, we struggle to support their specific needs adequately because the rest of the projects target the youth in general,” she said.

She said the Safeguard Young People program will promote engagement with young people living with HIV and Aids to support them to overcome stigma and to access health care and other human rights for them to live like anyone else.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education Specialist and Disability Focal Point for UNFP East and Southern Region Maria Bakaroudis said sexuality education for young people serves lives.

“It gives the correct information about their health and well-being so that they can prevent issues like teenage pregnancies, STIs, gender-based violence.

“They learn skills that help them communicate effectively, negotiate and make good decisions for their lives,” she said.

She said young people living with HIV have the same hopes and dreams of having their own family, and career but sometimes lack information on how to handle issues of disclosing their status, how to handle stigma and discrimination and leave positively by hearing about their treatment.

UNFPA Deputy Representative, Officer In-charge Dr. Ezizgeldi Hellenov said the training will revise National Adaptation and Piloting of the revised iCAN package.

He said Malawi’s statistics of 2.09 percent of adolescent girls and young women aged between 15 - 24 living with HIV is alarming adding 3, 300 adolescents contracted HIV last year representing 22 percent of all new infections.

He said UNFPA is committed to delivering comprehensive sexuality education to both schools and out-of-school settings anchored by programs that include The Global Programme on CSE for Out-of-school Youth.

Safeguard Young People is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.