Cervical cancer killing more than 1600 Malawian women yearly

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE

Malawi’s Ministry of Health has issued disturbing statistics of women developing and dying from cervical cancer in the country.

The disease causes death and according to the ministry it is the commonest and serious cancer in women accounting to about 45 percent of all cancers but if diagnosed and treated early it can easily controlled.

The ministry, in a media statement, discloses that over 2,300 women in the country develop cervical cancer and over 1,600 get killed from the disease and if nothing is done, the numbers may increase by over 60 percent by 2025 to 3,800 developing cases and approximately 2,600 deaths per year.

Cervical cancer is caused by different sub-types of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus.

And the ministry says it will start giving out HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer to adolescent girls aged between nine and 13 in Zomba and Rumphi districts.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Henry Chimbali, said the initiative, which is on pilot phase, started Monday, September 23, and will target approximately 4,450 girls in Rumphi and 2,500 in Zomba urban district before rolling it out nationwide.

Financed by Global Alliance on Vaccine Initiative (GAVI), which assists developing countries introduce new and underutilized vaccines, and other partners, if the pilot phase of the project succeeds, the country would be able to scale up the vaccine nationally by 2015.

The introduction of HPV vaccination among adolescent girls follows World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation and currently there are two vaccines that can prevent diseases caused by the HPV.

According to Chimbali, vaccination against HPV to adolescent girls is an effective approach in preventing cervical cancer the country experiences with the introduction of new vaccines which include Pentavalent, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), and rotavirus vaccines.

The vaccine, which is given on the upper arm of a girl, is to be given in three doses at zero months (Sept), second month (November) then sixth month (March).

Most HPV infections go away on their own within one to two years and do not cause cancer. However, about five to 10 percent of women infected with high-risk HPV types develop persistent HPV infections.

Cancer is a disease in which a group of cells in an organ display uncontrolled growth, and can sometimes spread to other locations in the body.

Health experts discuss improving lives of terminally ill African patients

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE

ABOUT 50 high-level representatives from African ministries of health ended their first-ever palliative care conference in South Africa on Friday, 20 September, with a call to African nations to provide people suffering from long-term chronic illnesses with adequate care.

The delegates bemoaned lack of proper access to care for people suffering from incurable and chronic diseases in the African region.

Dr Gwen Malegwala Ramokgopa, Deputy Minister of Health for South Africa, who led the adoption process for a consensus statement for palliative care integration into health systems in Africa, said it was high time African countries developed local models that would ensure swift roll out of palliative care services in their respective countries.

Malawi was represented at the weeklong conference, convened under the theme; the net effect: Spanning diseases, crossing boarders,  by Deputy Minister of Health, Agnes Mandevu-Chatipwa, who expressed Malawi Government’s commitment to accelerate access to palliative care services in the country.

The session was aimed at increasing awareness on the progress being made and the innovative approaches being used to strengthen health systems in Africa using palliative care and also increase awareness of the needs and challenges of people affected by life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses and the role that palliative care plays in alleviating related pain and human suffering.

The delegates discussed and shared their insights into palliative care development within the framework that was agreed at the UN High Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases in September 2011, and consequently the African Union’s (AU) common position on palliative care and access to pain medications.

They also discussed essential elements of a regional strategy for integrating palliative care into African health systems, reflected in a consensus statement that was adopted by the ministers and delegates attending the session.

The conference also facilitated decision making on priority actions to fully address the needs of those living with, and dying from, life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses in Africa, and the needs of their families.

And through a consensus statement, the conference articulated the essential elements of a regional strategy for increasing access to palliative care, by both adults and children living with, and dying from, life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.

Dr Emmanuel Luyirika, Executive Director of APCA, said being the first-ever palliative care session for health ministers in Africa, it was a strategic turning point in the effort to reduce suffering among patients with life-limiting illnesses as Africa moves towards entrenching palliative care into health systems.

“Its theme reflects our drive to constantly consider the “net effect”, the ultimate impact of our work with patients in Africa. With this in mind, our conference serves as a celebratory opportunity to consider the inclusive nature of palliative care, spanning the disease spectrum – from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases and the interplay between the two.

“We are pleased to host internationally renowned experts in global health and public policy through our plenary sessions and workshops. The conference will represent a unique opportunity not only to meet the world’s leading experts in the field of global health, but also to present cutting-edge innovative research and best practice in palliative care applicable to your work.

“We know it is only by “crossing borders” between disciplines, in global sharing of best practice that we can ultimately achieve the aim of making palliative care a human right for all. Our conference serves as a lynchpin for palliative care provision and development in Africa. Bringing together the continent’s clinical practitioners and national associations; people who make decisions that affect palliative care funding, availability and teaching; supporters and donors from beyond Africa, and technical experts in fields such as advocacy, research, organisational development, humanitarian work, communications and fundraising,” said Dr Luyirika, conference co-chairperson.

The conference, attended by ministers of health or their representatives, senior policy and technical officials from ministries of health from about 40 African countries, was organised by the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) and the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa.

The conference also drew chief executive officers of palliative care organisations from within and outside Africa, international development organisations and donors, and national palliative care associations and academic institutions from across Africa. Representatives from regional networks such as the African Union (AU), and the World Health Organisation’s Africa Office were also in attendance.

The African Palliative Care Association (APCA) works collaboratively with existing and potential stakeholders of palliative care services across Africa to help expand service provision and strengthen health systems by driving palliative care policy and education integration throughout Africa. APCA also works with governments and policymakers to ensure that the optimum policy and regulatory framework exists for the development of palliative care across Africa. 

Malawian journalist to head climate change regional body

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE

A seasoned Malawian female journalist has been elected to lead a climate change continental media body in Southern Africa.

Malawian journalist Sellina Sheena Nkowani

Sellina Sheena Nkowani, Online Sub-editor for Nation Publications Limited was elected as regional coordinator responsible for Southern Africa for the newly launched Pan African Media Alliance for Climate Change (PAMACC).

The media alliance was created at the end of a two-day capacity building training workshop for 41 journalists, who report on climate change issues from across the continent that converged in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi this week.

PAMACC is a continental network of journalists across Africa whose objective is to promote media coverage and reporting of climate change stories.

Nkowani was unanimously elected by delegates from Southern African nations of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Swaziland and Malawi who were part of the workshop.

Reacting to her election, Nkowani told Nyasa Times she was excited that her colleagues entrusted her with such a big and challenging position.

“I accept it with honour and pledge to work with media professionals who are passionate about tackling issues of climate change. It's challenging but I also believe that together, as media professionals, we can and we will make it happen,” she told Nyasa Times in an email interview.

Nkowani also pledged to encourage more women participation in climate change reporting considering that women and children were the most hit by effects of climate change.

“It is only right and proper that more women tell stories about fellow women. Apart from that, it is high time that African journalists start telling stories of climate change from the African perspective and share experiences and information with journalists from other countries," explained Nkowani, a former section editor for Blantyre Newspapers Limited.

The Malawian journalist is one of the five regional coordinators elected to head the body in each African region- North, Central, East, West and Southern Africa.

All the five will be reporting to the continental coordinator, a prominent Kenyan environmental journalist, Isaiah Esipisu, who is based in Nairobi.

Nkowani said one of her responsibilities as regional coordinator is to champion formation of vibrant national media networks in Southern African countries.

At the end of the training, the journalists were treated to a magnificent gala night where some deserving African journalists were honoured.

Malawi’s Zodiak Broadcasting Station journalist, Grace Khombe, was among the finalists for the ACCER awards but according to Nkowani her environmental special report piece titled Deforestation compromising school feeding programme in Chiradzulu failed to win and she was only given a certificate of recognition for reaching the finals.

The two-day workshop was organised by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) a continental coalition of civil society organisations that aims at unifying isolated civil society efforts on climate change advocacy and coordination in Africa.

Malawian government officials in Zambia to “beg” for maize

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE
A group of senior Malawi Government officials is in the Zambian capital Lusaka to reportedly beg for maize from that government, according to online media reports. 

Quoting unnamed Zambian government sources, the Zambian Watchdog reported that the Malawian officials arrived in that country over the weekend and were accommodated at one of the most expensive Zambian hotels, Pamodzi, where the begging process was being done.

Meanwhile, the popular Zambian online media says President Michael Sata has authorized and directed the sale of more than 50,000 metric tonnes of white maize to Malawi.

However, the online newspaper writes that despite authorising the sale, Zambian government officials and other technocrats vehemently objected to the decision because the country does also not have enough stock for its people.

“Zambian government officials and technocrats objected to the sale because there was not enough maize stock in the country for the Zambian population.

“But what the Zambian government officials did not know is the Mr. Sata had already concluded the deal with Malawian president Joyce Banda.

“When the Zambian government officials refused, the Malawian delegation called their president who also called Mr. Sata to remind him about the deal.

“President Sata then called the Zambian delegation and ordered them to allow the Malawian government to purchase the maize,” writes Zambia Watchdog.

Recently, the Zambian Government through its Food Reserve Agency (FRA) also signed a contract with the Tanzania National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to supply them 20, 000 metric tonnes of white maize valued at US$7million.

Malawi is currently facing critical shortage of maize, its staple food, which has resulted in escalating prices.
A 50kg bag of maize, which a few months ago was going at about K5000, is now fetching between K10000 and K12000 in urban centres.

Hundreds of hunger-stricken Malawians, particularly women with babies at their backs, have been spending days and nights on queues at state grain marketer, ADMARC selling depots, to purchase the commodity, which has also been rationed to 10kg per individual.

In its position paper on the country’s hunger situation released last week, the Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) called on government to immediately act on the hunger situation in the country.

The network recommended to government to issue a ministerial statement to state the situation of the grain reserves and also outline the gravity of the hunger situation and what it was doing about it.

It also recommended to government to issue instructions to ADMARC to immediately stop rationing maize to only 10kgs and increase the ration to at least 25kgs.

“It is a pity to see that people with meager resources are travelling long distances and even paying more on transport than the food they are buying. This practice is deplorable and should be discouraged. We request government to embark on restocking ADMARC markets that have no maize especially those that are in the rural areas,” said CISANET.

Australian firm acquires more coal mining licenses in Malawi

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE

An Australian mining and energy company, Intra Energy Corporation (IEC), has acquired further exploration licenses for coal mining in northern Malawi, the firm said Monday.

Already the Australian mining giant holds three other exclusive prospecting licences and one mining licence in the country with its Malawian subsidiary, Malawi Coal Mining (Malcoal).

The three prospecting licences were granted in September 2005 for Mwenewenya which covers an area of 37.5 km2, Livingstonia’s 35 km2 granted in July 2005 and also in June 2007 it was granted a licence for Mwapu which has area of 12.2 km2.

All the licences were renewed on 15th June 2012 by the Joyce Banda administration.

The mining licence for Nkhachira Coal Mine was granted on 30th December 2005 for fifteen years and covers an area of two km2.

Intra Energy Corporation Limited, which also has major thermal coal assets in Tanzania, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Malawian Government for the construction and operation of a coal fired power plant.

IEC Executive Director, Jonathan Warrand said the company was pleased with the acquiring of the two new coal exploration licences in Malawi as it expands its work in Eastern Africa.

The licences were granted to another IEC’s Malawi subsidiary, Intra Energy Trading Limited (IETL) for North Rukuru which covers an area of 318 km2 immediately south of Nkhachira Coal Mine.

The other licence was granted to Malcoal for Ngana situated in Karonga north along the Malawi-Tanzania border and covers an area of 231 km2.

There was no comment from government on the matter as both ministers responsible for mining and energy John Bande and Ibrahim Matola respectively were reportedly away to the United Kingdom with President Joyce Banda on her official tour.

IEC holds a 100 percent interest in IETL and 90 percent in Malcoal with partner Consolidated Mining Limited holding a 10 percent free carried interest.

The company also has all management and operating rights under the joint venture agreement.

And according to Warrand, North Rukuru contains Karoo sediments that overlie Precambrian basement rocks in a series of half-grabens.

“The main coal bearing sediments occur within the Karoo K2-K3 formation and yield sub-bituminous to bituminous coals with a Calorific Value of 5,500 to 6,500 kcals/kg, an Ash content between 18 and 26 percent and a low Sulphur content of 0.3 percent,” explained Warrand.

He said the extent of the Karoo formation in the area is controlled by the gneissic basement in the west and a major fault in the east with regional dips ranging between 10° and 18° to the east.

The executive director also revealed that its recent geological mapping within the lease confirms the presence of numerous coal seams with good quality thermal properties.

Coal at Ngana lease, covering a significant part of the Ngana Coalfield which is a southern extension of the Songwe-Kiwira Coalfield, is hosted within a 12m to 20m thick sedimentary sequence.

The coal there, according to Warrand, is typically sub-bituminous to bituminous with a Calorific Value of 5,500 to 5,950 kcals/kg and an Ash content between 23 and 27 percent.

Urban poverty on the rise in Malawi, says CSC report

A latest report by the Center for Social Concern (CSC) indicates that poverty levels continue worsening among Malawi’s urban dwellers with most of them failing to access basic necessities despite government’s claims that its economic recovery plan has started bearing fruits.

CSC is a faith-based organization registered in Malawi which seeks to ensure that every person has equitable access to resources and opportunities to lead a life of dignity, in solidarity with others, while preserving the environment.

Finance Minister Ken Lipenga said in a media statement last week that the government is doing all it can to mitigate some of the adverse impacts of economic challenges facing Malawians.

Without giving practical examples, Lipenga said the recent approval of the first review of implementation of the recovery programme by the IMF Board clearly demonstrates the successful implementation of the recovery programme.

But the CSC study carried out last December says low income earners in urban areas are finding it difficult to access to necessities such as electricity due to expensive tariffs charged by the country’s sole electricity provider, Electricity Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).

According to the study, even access to safe water is becoming a problem to most families in these residential areas.

It says on average, the total cost of basic food items and non basic food items for all cities for December was at K84, 463 signifying a nominal increase of K4, 949 compared to the November average which was at K79, 514.

“In Lilongwe an average low income earning family of six saw its expenditure on basic food items and non essential food items going up from K88, 737 in November  to K91, 632 in December last year,” reads the report in part.

It also says the price of country’s staple food; maize went up by 20% in Lilongwe, 14% in   Zomba, 12 % in Blantyre while in Mzuzu was raised by 47%.

The report is urging the current government authorities to build and sustain a healthy economy that provides employment opportunities to many Malawians as a way of arresting the problem.

Prices of various goods and services became unstable on the local market following the introduction of the automatic system of regulating fuel prices and the floatation of Malawi Kwacha by the President Joyce Banda government.

The problem has not spared those in rural areas either as they are now being forced to cough more in order to buy basic commodities such as soap, salt, sugar and Paraffin.

Meanwhile, economists are blaming the rising cost of living on what they call poor economic policies pursued by the current government which are believed to have aggravated the suffering of many Malawians.

However, the CSC report is projecting that the trend will only be reversed once the country’s much touted economic recovery plan starts bearing real fruits.

The vindicates plans by the Consumers Association of Malawi to hold a nation-wide demonstrations on January 17 against the souring cost of living which has been exacerbated by the floatation of Malawi kwacha.

Malawi: Regional media body calls arrest of journalist unconstitutional, retrogressive

A Southern Africa’s media watchdog has called upon Malawian authorities to release on bail online journalist Justice Mponda within the required 48 hours and desist from subjecting him to further mental and physical torture.

The 27-year-old journalist working for an online publication Malawi Voice was arrested Monday morning on allegations that he insulted President Joyce Banda and published false information.

The online publication which is bankrolled by members of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is branded by most readers as unethical and blacklisted by the Joyce Banda administration.  

A few hours after his arrest, police transferred the journalist to the national police headquarters in the capital, Lilongwe, some 340 kilometers away from Blantyre, where his case file has reportedly been opened.

Police have since charged him with three counts of insulting the President, Publishing false information and criminal libel.

But the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Malawi Chapter says it is shocked and deeply saddened with the detention of Mponda and considers his arrest and treatment as undemocratic and retrogressive for Malawi's emerging democracy. 

“MISA Malawi considers the arrest and treatment of Mponda as unconstitutional and retrogressive for Malawi's nascent democracy. 

“The arrest of Mponda is based on outmoded pieces of legislation enacted during the colonial era to suppress dissent and promote colonial superiority. Among others, Mponda has been charged with insulting the president based on the Protected Names, Flag and Emblems Act, a law which is archaic and retrogressive for our country,” MISA Malawi Chairperson, Anthony Kasunda said in a statement.

It is not quite clear which articles Mponda has been arrested for as police have kept a tight lid on his arrest but sources within police say he had been arrested for the three articles he wrote which are believed to have been cooked up also for being linked to a fake facebook account purported to be that of President Banda.

The police source said the articles in question include one on Malawi declaring Tanzania High Commissioner to Malawi persona non grata following remarks he made on Zodiak radio regarding the Lake Malawi boarder dispute, the Chinese Government withdrawing its pledge to construct a state-of-the-art stadium in Lilongwe and another on President Joyce Banda claiming she was resigning as president which he quoted her fake facebook account.

MISA Malawi says it is important to note that in any democracy, free speech is paramount and affords the citizenry, including the media, a chance to debate and shape public opinion. 

“Without free speech, the media cannot effectively perform its watchdog role and check abuse of power and safeguard democracy. That is why MISA Malawi has been in the forefront campaigning for repeal and review of laws that restrict free speech, such as Criminal Defamation and the Protected Flags, Emblems and Names Act, which have both been used to arrest Mponda,” states the statement. 

It adds: “We have brought these laws to the attention of relevant authorities and reiterate our plea for their urgent review. In fact, that some of these laws - Protected Flags, Emblems and Names Act for example, still quote a fine to be paid in Pound Sterling (1000 Pounds, about Mk480, 000) and not in Malawi Kwacha supports the fact that the laws remain stuck in the repressive colonial era and proves the urgency with which legal reforms must take place in Malawi, forty-eight years after independence.”

MISA Malawi also expresses concern over several other restrictive laws of such nature and age existing in Malawi like the Official Secrets Act (1913), the Printed Publications Act (1947) and the Censorship and Control of Entertainment Act (1968). 

“Archaic laws have no role to play in a democracy and we call upon government to desist from implementing them and dragging the country to the colonial era,” asserts MISA Malawi.

However, the media watchdog commends government for repealing Section 46 of the Penal Code - which empowered the Minister of Information to ban any publication deemed not to be in the public interest, as defined by the minister, but at the same time requested a critical look at other laws that negate on the Constitutional guarantee to free speech and media freedom as provided for under Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution. 

Commenting on police conduct to transfer Mponda from Blantyre to Lilongwe, MISA Malawi says it is shocked and disturbed with the development which it describes as a clear torture. 

It says this is a clear demonstration by the law enforcers that they are not through with investigations and are “taking deliberate steps to subject Mponda to mental and physical torture.”

The media body observes that government has all the resources at its disposal and clearly capable of keeping Mponda in Blantyre and subjecting Mponda to mental and physical torture is unconstitutional and should not be condoned in this day and age.

MISA Malawi says it had always supported a win-win relationship between the media and government and strongly appeals to authorities to engage relevant bodies such as MISA Malawi and the Media Council of Malawi (MISA) whenever disagreements arise between government and the media. 

It observes that arresting journalists would only tarnish the image of the government and ruin the benefits of dialogue. 

“Only dialogue between government and the media would provide a more enabling environment for media freedom, freedom of expression and ultimately citizen empowerment.

“We have hope in the leadership of Mrs. Joyce Banda and strongly encourage overzealous cohorts to desist from making decisions that would ruin her administration and tarnish the good image her administration has tried hard to build.  

“We call upon the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and release Mponda on bail within the required 48 hours. We also appeal to the Police to desist from subjecting Mponda to further mental and physical torture,” concludes the statement.

Tears, emotions as thousands attend burial of Malawi’s former President

On Monday, at exactly 16:30hrs Malawi time, the body of Bingu wa Mutharika was interred into its final resting place, marking the end of his illustrious life that started with a humble beginning 78 years ago.

Until his death which resulted from a cardiac arrest 19 days ago, Mutharika was the second democratically elected President of southern African country Malawi, a nation he ruled for eight years.

His successor, Joyce Banda, led over 15 000 Malawians and hundreds of foreigners who included five African heads of state and government in burying one of not only Malawi’s but world’s gallant sons. 

People of all walks of life regardless of their political affiliations, tribe and religion gathered at the fallen leader’s home village to pay their homage. 

The foreign presidents included late Mutharika’s closest ally, Gabriel Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, Jakaya Kiwete of Tanzania, Mozambique’s Armambo Guebuza and Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia.

Other distinguished delegates included former Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell, South Africa’s Vice President Kgalema Motlanthe, Zambia’s Vice President Guy Scot, Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Shangirai, Swaziland’s Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku, among others.

The day’s somber ceremony started with the viewing of the body by the foreign delegates at his mansion which was led by Malawi’s President Banda.

Late Mutharika, who was accorded a full state funeral, was buried on his expansive farm in southern tea growing district of Thyolo in a mausoleum next to his first wife, Ethel, who died in 2007 due to cancer.

A 21-gun salute roared as his body was being carried to the mausoleum on a two-gun artillery from his controversial multi-million mansion he dubbed Villa Casablanca to his final resting place where clergy from the Catholic Church conducted the final requiem mass.

Several speakers offered their eulogies in which they described late Malawian President as a great man who dedicated his life to making Malawi and Africa better places.

Before being taken to his final resting place, thousands more Malawians and people of other nationalities paid their respects for seven days as his body lied in state in the capital, Lilongwe, the northern city of Mzuzu and the commercial capital, Blantyre.

The departed President, born Ryson Webster Thom in 1934, was a schoolmaster's son and ruled Malawi from 2005 until April 5^th. 

Late Mutharika and was internationally recognized for his success in making the country a food secure nation.

However, things changed immediately after assuming office for his second term in 2009 when things started crumbling.

He was heavily criticised for mismanaging the economy and stifling political and press freedoms which resulted in several bilateral partners withdrawing their assistance.

A career economist, late Prof Mutharika has worked in various international institutions such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, African Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) where he was its first Executive Secretary.

Before becoming Malawi’s president, late Mutharika served the Malawi Government in various capacities including cabinet minister as well as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi.

Malawi Government declared Monday, April 23, a public holiday in order to give Malawians an opportunity to honour their former leader.