Mw Govt Downplays Global Fund Under-Utilization Fears

President Peter Mutharika signed Global Fund 
Partnership with Mark Dybul, 
Executive Director of the Global Fund 

The Malawi Government has refuted information sourced by the Parliamentary Committee on Nutrition, HIV and AIDS that the country has delayed in the use of the Global Fund money and there is risk of under-utilisation of the approved funds.

The entourage from the Ministry of Health lead by Secretary in the Ministry, McPhail Magwira and Chief of Health Services, Charles Mwansambo has enlighten the Parliamentary committee that there has been no delays in the use of the funds but Government has only faced a challenge of instituting the Project Implementation Unit (PIU).

On Wednesday, the team from Ministry of Health was meeting with the committee on issues on Nutrition, HIV and AIDS but the clarification on the issues followed worries expressed by the committee it got information that there has been no action on the ground in terms of use of approved funds by the principle recipients and the committee feared risk that the country will under-utilise the funds come 2017.

Responding to this question, Mr. McPhail Magwira, Secretary in the Ministry of Health said the Ministry has already started utilizing the money, however, he explained that the only area that delayed in the Global Fund programme was putting together of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and not utilisation of the money.

"Despite the fact that the unit is not in place, we were allowed to proceed to utilize the funds.  So, the fact that the PIU is not in place and despite the fact that we needed to start in January, but in terms of resource utilization we have already started.” confirmed Magwira

He told the Committee that although it took long to put together PIU, Government has now resolved the problem as it has put together all the necessary staff there.

"This was the case as most of the members of staff from PIU are seconded from  Government except for the very few posts. We have already advertise the posts but in the interim we have also made arrangement for the Project Manager to come in to put the unit in place." said explained 

Chef of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Charles Mwansambo shared Magwira sentiments by further assuring the committee that the money from Global Fund have been used.

“Indeed we were supposed to start from the 1st of January and am pleased to report that the Global Fund has provided moneys to Ministry of Health and to other principle recipients, ActionAid and World Vision.So the funds are in the country and were transferred in December for the activities that we said we are going to do that period. 

So, there is no reason to worry, the funds have already started to come in for specific activities that were targeted for the first months that were slightly delayed because of PIU." He said

Cementing on Magwira's justification of the delays in organising PIU office, Mwansambo explained to the committee that the delay to organise the PIU chiefly originated from the reason that non of the Government officers qualified from the interviews that were conducted for the post of managing PIU following advice from Global Fund that PIU management should be seconded from Government because from experience elsewhere, such officers stay even if  Global Fund moves out. 

“So, we went back to Global fund to ask them if we could recruit from outside, now, they have given us ok." He said adding "So, some of the people will be recruited from outside the market while the supporting team will be from Government. That is why it was slightly delayed."

Mwansambo also downplayed fears that National Aids Commission (NAC) is facing problems after it failed to become a principle recepient of Global Fund.

He said "The main role of NAC is to coordinate national response and they are ably doing that with support from various donors including World Bank, so, they are able to play that function."

“With the new funding model, the Global fund did advise countries to go for dual tracking where you get a principal recipient from Government and another from non-governmental organization. So, for Malawi since most of the biomedical part was being conducted by the Ministry of Health, when they advertised for the principle recipient, Ministry of Health applied and NAC applied also. Of course, since we were the ones implementing, we had a competitive advantage over NAC and that is why we got the funding but at present the other two principle recipients are ActionAid and World Vision and these are implementing the non-biomedical part of the project." He said 

"So, I don’t think NAC is at disadvantage at present or there are problems at present." Added Mwansambo

Malawi and the Global Fund strengthened their partnership by signing grants worth more than US$332 million in October last year, to expand treatment and prevention for HIV, TB and Malaria and build resilient and sustainable systems for health. 

The signing brought the total Global Fund commitment to Malawi to US$616 million from 2014 to 2017.

The HIV and TB grants total US$298 million and the malaria grants US$34 million. Malawi has also committed US$30 million of its domestic resources for procurement of health products and to strengthen health systems.

Investments through the grant will enable Malawi to provide HIV treatment for 745,000 patients by the end of 2017, which represents 70 percent of the people in need. The grants will be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Health and two non-governmental organizations, World Vision and ActionAid who will implement the grants directly, strengthening the community-based response to the diseases.

HIV Bill At Cabinet Level-Ministry Of Health

The HIV Prevention and Management Bill is now under Cabinet Committee on Legal Affairs for consideration says Ministry of Health.

This was disclosed on Wednesday evening by a delegation from the Ministry of Health during the encounter with Parliamentary Committee on Nutrition, HIV & Aids. 

Dr. Charles Mwansambo, Chief of Health Services in the Ministry of Health said on 2nd March this year the bill was presented to the Cabinet in its original form as proposed by the Special Law report.

“After Special Law Commission report was prepared it had to be presented to Cabinet Committee on Legal Affairs to look at it.” Confirmed Mwansambo

According to the presentation made by the Ministry to the Committee, indicates that the bill was presented to the Cabinet Committee for consideration just after consultations with Parliamentary Women Caucus.

The committee was further informed that Ministry of Justice will soon be reviewing the bill based on the recommendations from the Cabinet Committee on Legal Affairs possibly in May this year and that presentation of the bill to the full Cabinet by Minister of Health will possibly be later in June.

The ministry also indicated that the presentation of the Bill to Parliament will be done after the Cabinet approves the bill possibly in July this year.

Among other issues, Mwansambo informed the Parliamentary Committee that there are no contentious issues in the bill because those were addressed during the time the bill was presented to the wider grouping before it was presented to the Cabinet Legal Affairs Committee. 

The purpose of the bill is among others to provide a comprehensive legislative and institutional framework for combating preventing and managing HIV and AIDS using human rights approach as well as to promote and protect all people in Malawi to access HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

Malawi began to work on the bill since 2009 through the Law Commission and the process of developing it involved Parliamentary Committee on HIV and AIDS, People Living with HIV (PLHIV), risks and vulnerable groups as well as service providers among other stakeholders.


Additional Information About the Bill


Guiding Principles of the Bill are; provide a multi-dimensional approach to the management and prevention of HIV &AIDS, and promote human rights of key and other vulnerable population including access to remedies where human rights of people living with HIV & AIDS are violated.

The Bill intends to achieve the following:

• Create a vibrant institutional framework for effective enforcement of the HIV legislation

• Promote gender equality on impact of HIV and AIDS on women and cultural practices

• Prevent spread of HIV and promote human rights in terms of discrimination and equality, privacy and confidentiality, marriage and family life, property and access to judicial remedies.

• Enhance public health delivery systems in terms of testing for HIV infection and modes of testing

• Provide accurate and reliable information on HIV and AIDS in terms of regulation of information of information and misleading information.

• Provide equal employment opportunities and prohibit discrimination, adoption of HIV and AIDS workplace policies, and HIV and AIDS as an occupational hazard for service providers

• Provide for the role of non-formal and indigenous education 

• Apply criminal law for transmission and exposure offences, and accountability for HIV and AIDS related funds.

ATI Absence, Little Stakeholder Input In Budget Processes Affecting Social Accountability In Malawi- ActionAid Survey Reveals

A baseline survey by ActionAid Malawi has identified absence of legislations particularly Access to Information and lack of enough engagement in the budget process as some of the limiting factors for social accountability, monitoring and oversight capacity in the management of public resources in the country.

The study captured information on current levels of social accountability capacity within central government, legislatures, civil society and the media. Six gaps were identified and it came up with 21 recommendations.

Access to Information legislation absence was highlighted as one of the limiting factor to access to public information vital for tracking budget expenditures. The legislation is expected to be tabled in the next meeting of the National Assembly probably in May or June and once enacted, the legislation is expected to help Malawians to access to public information which is difficult at the moment.

It also found that resource allocation processes are influenced more by the Ministry of Finance since consultations are mainly top-down with minimum negotiations. The study therefore noted that supply side players do not engage with the process from beginning hence they are not able to contribute fully to the budget debates and it added that donors play critical role in the resource allocation.

Other highlighted gaps are: persistent corruption practices and theft; challenges in performance management of the budget; political influences and gender insensitive budgets; lack of clear guidelines on the process of needs assessments and strategic planning process and legislative provisions on the role of CSO's and oversight players in the confirming the identified needs and strategic plan documents.

Among recommendations includes; strengthen the decentralization parameters to allow more participation and prioritization of needs, addressing public resource management laws, strengthen capacity to produce publicly accessible monthly and quarterly programme based financial statements and spending reports as well as strengthen stakeholder capacity to do expenditure tracking.

The study was done prior to implementation of the first phase of a five year project 'Strengthening Social Accountability and Oversight Capacity for Rights-based Public Resources Management in Health and Agriculture in Malawi.' 

The project aims at developing capacities of stakeholders in social accountability on public finance and the findings are expected to inform activities for the implementation of the project expected to rollout in May this year. 

Reactions to the Report

On Thursday, ActionAid shared the report to CSOs, Legislatures from selected Parliamentary Committees and Media and the findings have received encouraging response.

Richard Chimwendo

Member of Parliament for Dowa East and Chairperson for Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs, Richard Chimwendo Banda agree with almost all the issues articulated in the findings.

In an interview, Chimwendo said the issue of lack of full budget negotiations and engagements during formulation is one of relevant issues that truly represent current state of Parliamentarians on their oversight role and participation in the budget process.

"Yes, I would like to agree with the findings. There are gaps on how we provide our input to the Budget. The main challenge is that we are given the budget documents a week or so before the passing of the budget and it is therefore always a challenge to scrutinize the budgets." He said 

He added; "We feel Access to Information is very important for us because we will be able to demand to access to budget documents earlier as well to access to information that can enable us monitor the progress of the budget."

He then said he is impressed with the project aims and hoped that empowerment of legislatures on budget tracking will help them carry out budget oversight role properly.

Chidanti Malunga

Equally, Deputy Chairperson for Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Honorable Jospeh Chidanti Malunga shared similar sentiments of Chimwendo by adding that "Sometimes we do not know what is contained in Agricultural sector budget."

"Although we are put in cluster Committees to look at the budget documents, still we are not given ample time to look at budget documents. It is important that some times when budget is formulated we have to have time, way in advance so that we scrutinize it and also involve stakeholders in the know to help us critically look at issues in the budget"  he said

Malunga also said ActionAid initiative is a step in the right direction and he is ready together with his committee to work with ActionAid in the project.

Chikondi Chavuta

Chikondi Chavuta, Regional Thematic Manager for Food Security, Climate Resilience and Emergencies at ActionAid Malawi said the new project is aimed at strengthening social accountability and oversight capacity for rights based public resources management in health and agriculture.

She said the project which is part of regional programme that includes Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania will help to improve the effectiveness of government system and structures to achieve accountability and transparency on budgeting utilization and implementation.

"We found out that structures that we operate at Government level are quite week and needs to be improved to ensure that they have proper service delivery." She said

Chavuta said the project intends to develop and enhance the capacity of stakeholders especially parliamentarians to oversee the two sectors. And also to develop capacity of issue based CSOs, media and Smallholder farmers to engage in social accountability monitoring and advocacy.

She further disclosed that the project also intends to develop capacity of relevant Government departments on public resources management, social accountability and oversight as well as reduce existing working relation gap between Government institutions and the stakeholders.

"This project will try to address that gap by building the capacities of all these areas to ensure that we reach the ultimate goal of ensuring social accountability and transparency and make sure that we have social accountability mechanisms in place that are benefiting especially people in poverty."

Chavuta also mentioned that CSOs, smallholders farmers, Media and Parliamentary Committees especially on Budget and Finance, Health and on Agriculture are expected to play a very critical role in the project on engagements and provide effective oversight that promotes social accountability in the health and agriculture sectors with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS, SRHR and food security.

ActionAid has been appointed to undertake a phase one of a 10-year project on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to: 'Strengthen Social Accountability and Oversight Capacity for Rights-based Public Resources Management in Health and Agriculture in Southern Africa'.

Mama Ye Project Call Media To Prop Up Efforts In Maternal, Newborn Survival

Mama Ye Project has called on Media to keep alive issues of maternal and newborn survival for the country to continue registering progress.

Chatuluka

Country Project Leader of Mama Ye Campaign, Mathias Chatuluka made the call at a two day media orientation workshop on Thursday, aimed at equipping Journalists at national level to understand current situation of Maternal and Newborn and the interventions being carried out and in turn help to amplify the work of the MamaYe Campaign in Malawi.

Chatuluka said media is a key strategic partner in promoting survival of mothers and newborn.

He said media can play its role by reporting positive stories that highlights the progress in maternal and newborn survival through number of interventions by Government and various institutions including Mama Ye campaign.

He observed that at present, media is not giving much attention to issues of maternal and newborn and as such it is "rare to find such stories on front pages" in newspaper articles.

But Chatuluka encouraged the media to publicize positively the achievements being made on maternal and infant mortality and encourage safe motherhood.

Chatuluka highlighted that Maternal mortality rate in Malawi stands at 574 per 100,000 live births, a significant improvement from the situation ten years before when the mortality rate was 984.

He said improvements are partly owing to a number of factors including improved coverage for antenatal care by skilled health personnel. 

However, he said gaps still exist in terms of poorly equipped facilities, long distances to a health facility, inadequate human resources and insufficient funding.

But he said The Evidence4Action MamaYe Campaign has been working on a number of parameters to address the gaps and that most of its interventions are producing significant results which are helping in the reduction of maternal and infant deaths.

Malawi Election Into UNAIDS Board ‘PCB’ To Increase Global Efforts In HIV Response

Malawi’s election into the UNAIDS Board, ‘Programme Coordinating Board (PCB)’ gives hope to UNAIDS that more countries will learn best practices in HIV fight, as the country becomes a global role model for number of achievements in its HIV response programme.

Ms Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, made the observation on Tuesday morning, when meeting President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

President Mutharika Hails MW, UNAIDS Partnership: Pledged To End HIV By 2030

Mutharika with Beagle 

The Malawi President, Peter Mutharika on Tuesday said close collaboration between Government and the UNAIDS is propelling the country to continue registering tremendous success in the fight against HIV and AIDS and committed to end HIV by 2030 if working partnership continues with a clear and focused vision, and human-rights centred approach.

Mutharika was speaking at Kamuzu Palace in the Capital City, Lilongwe during his meeting with the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Ms Jan Beagle.

“To me and my government, UNAIDS is a distinguished leader in the global HIV and AIDS response, and our close collaboration has borne positive results for global health and development” said President Mutharika 

With UNAIDS support, Mutharika said Malawi has gained its global reputation in the scaling up HIV treatment program considerably and pioneer the “Option B+” program. He indicated that coverage for HIV treatment has increased by 82 percent since 2011 as the country has now over 600,000 people on Anti-retroviral therapy.

“Indeed, more than half of the estimated 1.1 million Malawians living with HIV are on treatment. Perhaps, one of our most notable achievements, is that Malawi has achieved a 67 percent decline in Mother-to-Child infections. This is the highest decline achieved for all the 22 high priority countries in the world, as you may be aware.

New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have also fallen rapidly. These are significant achievements.” He said 

He therefore thanked UNAIDS for providing technical assistance to Malawi Government on the development of the Global Fund proposal as well as the development of Malawi’s new National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS and Malawi’s Prevention Strategy which earned Malawi the first country in the world to embrace the UNAIDS targets of 90.90.90. 

Malawi leader further expressed thanks for technical and financial assistance together with UNFPA and UNICEF, rendered  to the First Lady’s’ program which includes children and young women and girls in the HIV response, and address cervical cancer.

“UNAIDS is working at all levels of government and society to support my Government to inspire Malawians about the fact that it is possible to end AIDS. This is in tandem with my government’s ideal for a people-centred government.” Added Mutharika

While reaffirming his commitment to strengthening efforts towards universal treatment eligibility in April this year, the Malawi leader also committed that the country will compliment support getting from donors by making a domestic contribution of $8.5 million to procure ARVs for the period 2015 to 2017 as one way of addressing HIV and AIDS in the country.

“These are hard earned resources and I am making demonstrable efforts to ensure they are managed in a transparent and accountable manner.” Said President Mutharika

He also expressed his commitment to continue mobilize and encourage young people to adopt responsible behaviour in preventing and managing HIV after a year since he signed the global Heads of State football to pledge his support for the “Protect the Goal” Campaign.

In her remarks, the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Ms Jan Beagle said international community admires and respect Malawi Government for scaling up efforts on prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child by being the first country to adopt the Option B+ (a new guideline on the use of Antiretroviral Treatment (ART). 

She agreed with President Mutharika that the HIV Programme that Malawi is pioneering on putting HIV positive pregnant and lactating women on life-long ARV to prevent infections among children and to keep children alive, has indeed helped the country to achieve highest decline of new HIV infections in babies among the 22 high burden countries globally.

Beagle said significant strides like drastic reduction in HIV related deaths including placing HIV issues into the National Strategic Plan have accorded the country to a status of a role model in the fight against HIV globally.

“These achievements are not only significant to Malawi but also a signal to other countries to follow the same” she added

While encouraging the country to continue using HIV resources and invest wisely to achieve results, Beagle has commended Malawi for showing commitment to “invest HIV resources wisely” and that the recent largest per capita allocation from Global Fund affirms international admiration for Malawi’s commitment on this course.

But she urged Malawi to keep HIV on agenda and integration of HIV issues by looking at other diseases like cervical cancer.

Later, Ms Beagle also met with the First Lady, Madame Gertrude Mutharika who is also the Vice President for Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), who expressed her appreciation on number of areas that UNAIDS is supporting her.

“I am thankful for the support rendered in the implementation of activities for the OAFLA work plan. Through your support, I have mobilized resources for Point of Care Machines for Early Infant Diagnosis and dual HIV and syphilis test kits” she said and further mention the launching of a stop cervical cancer campaign as some of activities carried out with UNAIDS support.

She further informed the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Ms Beagle that OAFLA Malawi is keen to address HIV and AIDS among children in line with the goals of the Global Plan, address HIV among young people and to eliminate Cervical Cancer 

Madame Mutharika also assured UNAIDS that as OAFLA and as the country they have embraced the agenda to Fast- Track AIDS response and she is personally committed to meaningful change.

“I have no doubt in my mind that together we can leave the legacy for future where AIDS is no longer a public threat” added Madame Mutharika 

The UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Jan Beagle is in the country for an important visit pertaining to the HIV and AIDS response in Malawi.

Ms Beagle is expected to meet various stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS response including the Civil Society.

Manet+ Epress Worry Over Mw Govt Failure To Meet Abuja Declaration Targets

Safari Mbewe

An ambrella body of people living with HIVMalawi Network of People Living with HIV (Manet+), says Malawi seems to be far from meeting agreed target of allocating 15% of the total national budget to the health sector.

The body has expressed its concern during the stakeholder Meeting aiming at strategizing as CSOs on what they can do to help Government meet its commitment made in 2001 on Abuja Declaration.

In 2001 African Governments including Malawi  committed to allocate at least 15% of total annual budget to the health sector, However, records indicates that in 2012/2013 budget, Malawi allocated 12%, in 2013/2014 it was 8.3% while in 2014/2016 budget the allocation was 9.7%.

Safari Mbewe, executive Director for Manet+ said Malawi Government failure to fulfill its commitment to allocate 15% of national budget towards health sector is a worrisome development looking at how at the moment the health sector is continuously struggling to provide services.

“We are concerned on issues of sustainable financing especially when we reflect back on the commitment that our own Government made and this is in line with 2001 Abuja Declaration where our government committed to contribute at least 15% of the domestic resources towards health.”

And we see that that commitment is not being fulfilled and especially when we see the challenges that are facing our health delivery system”

Public Hospital Problems: Everyone Needs To Support Hospitals

• A Health personnel believes Communities can help to end Public Hospital Woes just like they did during Chrismas and New Year Festivities helping Patient's 
• He said more company's and individuals came to help patients but forgotten hospitals striving to provide good care for patients

Kedson Masiyano

The noble gesture of hospital visits to share gifts with patients as part of festivities for Christmas and New Year may actually be unforeseeable lesson to communities that in the same manner they helped patients, they can make a collective efforts to end uncountable challenges facing public hospitals.

Says Kedson Masiyano Chief Clinical Officer for Area 18 Health Centre in the capital, Lilongwe, that the trend if continued throughout the year with focus on supporting public hospital facilities could be a problem solving for numerous challenges in hospitals.

He said during New Year and Christmas Festive Season Area 18 Health Centre saw a lot of well-wishers, companies and institutions coming to support patients admitted at the hospital. 

He said this noble course was done as the public hospital like many others, continue to experience number of problems while trying hard to save lives of patients.

He said communities around public hospitals like Area 18 Health Centre can draw a lesson from the spirit shown during festive season by taking ownership of their nearby hospital and start to solve the challenges so that people can start to see improvement in the quality of services from the public hospitals.

“Since this hospital is our hospital, people should take responsibility and ownership of the hospital by not expecting that Government can do everything.” Said Masiyano adding "Government has a lot of issues to take care of"

Masiyano said in an interview that the better way of solving public hospital challenges which includes insufficient beds and other hospital equipments is through ownership by communities than just sit and wait for government do everything.

“I urge companies and well-wishers to come forward, this is our hospital. Let’s assist where Government may not reach, in that way we will make the health of the people around this area better and in that way we will also help to make our health sector move forward” he said

At the moment, public hospitals are experiencing number of challenges including shortage of drugs, fuel for ambulances and beds due to inadequate funding from Government. Companies, institutions and well-wishers celebrated with the patients in hospitals across the nation, but probably overlooked the aspect of assisting also the public hospitals which are trying to save lives.

Sekumana Investments Promotes Hospital Births During Festive Season Donation At Area 25 Health Centre

Edwin Mauluka presenting gifts to women at
Area 25 Maternity wing 

Lilongwe based business, Sekumana Investments, donated food items and other gifts to women in the Maternity Wing at Area 25 Health Centre in Lilongwe as part of commemorating Christmas and New Year festive season on Saturday, and made a strong message that women should go against the culture and deliver in hospitals.

Nutricom Cheers Up Patients, Promise To Fix Some Challenges At Area 18 Health Centre

Official from Nutricom giving gifts to a woman

on the floor are some Items donated to the patients 

A local company, Nutricom, brought laughter on New Year’s Eve to patients and guardians at Area 18 Health Centre in Lilongwe, when the company paid a visit to shared with them various food items including their famous product, Kombucha juice.

Peter Ndalama, Director for Nutricom while cheering up the patients made a promise to the hospital management that the company is coming back make a donation of bedsheets and help to sort out some other challenges facing the health centre.

Masiyano in white gown and to his left is Ndalama

Ndalama and Masiyano giving gifts to patient 

Ndalama said as the year of 2015 comes to an end enters 2016, Nutricom felt the importance of cheer-up the sick at Area 18 Health Centre which is closer to the company’s operational area.

The company presented to each patient some New Year’s Eve gifts which included various food items and some toiletries. 

For these gifts, Ndalama said “We also knew that the clinic has admitted some patients who may not be able to access to some basic items during this festive season.” He then added that this was also part of showing appreciation to the society for the good business happened in just ended year of 2015.

Apart from reaching out to patients, Nutricom has also committed itself to fix some challenges facing the Health Centre.

“When we entered the hospital wards, we noted that the Health Centre has inadequate bed sheets. So we are definitely coming back soon to donate the bed sheets. 

We also learnt that their water reservoir is not functioning, so on Monday (on 3rd January 2016) we are sending our Plumber to fix the problem.” Assures Ndalama

Masiyano

Meanwhile, the Chief Clinical Officer for the Health Centre, Kedson Masiyano has expressed the hospital’s sincere appreciation for the gesture and asked other companies to borrow leaf from Nutricom.

Masiyano explaning more about the hospital to
Nutricom officials

“We are very excited and it has been a double celebration for us. We are just coming out of Christmas and we are entering a new year, so with their coming they have assisted us with food items for patients. As you may know, Area 18 Health Centre does not have a kitchen. Patients that we keep they bring their own food from home but some of them do have some challenges to access the food.” Said Masiyano

He further highlighted that the food items that have been given to patients was complimenting to the hospital’s advice that patients must always take nutritious food.

Speaking on the promised support from the company, the Chief Clinical Officer said Nutricom assistance “is a positive move in the right direction” 

Masiyano pointed out that at the moment the health centre does not have enough bedclothes and for this reason most patients bring beddings from home.

On the problem of water reservoir he said; “Sometimes we do face problems with intermittent water supply from the Water Board and yet we do have a reservoir which is not functioning for some time.”

We Need Adequate, Sustainable Financing Of Health Sector- Trapence

Trapence in red scarf: pictured in November 2015
briefing media after presentimg petition to
National Assembly calling for adequate and
Sustainable financing of health sector 

Rights Activists continue to call for adequate and suitable financing of the Malawi’s Health Sector.

Gift Trapence, Executive Director for Cedep and Chairperson for Citizens Forum for the Defense of Good Governance said in an interview that the country needs to end persistently health sector challenges by making sure that the sector is adequately allocated with funding from the national budget and implement other sustainable ways of financing the sector including suggested user fees in hospitals.

The calls are coming at the moment the country is continuously facing challenges in the Health Sector which includes shortage of drugs, inadequate nurses and doctors, stoppage of Locum services among others.

“What we are asking the Government is to make sure that they are able to support or finance the Health System, at least 15% of the National total budget should be allocated to Ministry of Health or to the Health Sector." He said

Trapence

"This is in line with the Government Commitment what we call Abuja Declarations. African nations signed this declaration so that they are able to finance the health sector with enough resources with enough human resource. So we would want to see a shift in the way how we prioritize our spending we want more spending to the health sector. 

But as well, to have a long lasting solution in terms of sustainable financing of the health sector. Because what we have seen, there is a lot of ad hoc in the way how we finance the ministry of health and yet this is a most critical sector that we need to fund. Because healthy people means healthy nation and also it means development.” Explained Trapence 

He said Malawi has little resources but if used better some challenges can be fixed and emphasised prioritizing the spending because they can contribute meaningfully in averting challenges being faced.

On Friday, 20th November this year, concerned citizens comprising of Civil Society Organizations, Health Professional Associations and Patient Interest Groups delivered petition to the National Assembly calling for immediate response to the persistently inadequate national budget allocation to the health sector.

The petition highlighted number of challenges the country is facing due to inadequate funding of the sector.

It raised concern that Malawi remains one of the countries failing to meet the World Health organization (WHO) standard of 23 doctors/10,000 population necessary to deliver essential health services.  However, currently Malawi has 2 doctors and 37 midwives for every 100,000 people. And that the situation does not spare the paramedics and pharmacists.

The petition also revealed that due to inadequate funding most hospitals have stopped Locum Services.

They also asked government to speed up the consultation processes on health financing including user fees as an option to sustainably finance the health sector.

“It is healthy people who will fully contribute to the development of this nation. Therefore investing in health is one sure way of accelerating the sustainable development of the nation of Malawi. This is why the need to obtain 15% national budget allocation, including a clear strategy to strengthen the health systems can never be overemphasized. However the Government needs to realize that achievement of the Essential Health Package requires continued adequate financing.” Read the petition 

Drug Fight Body Wants No Football Sponsorship From Tobacco, Alcohol Companies

Baziwelo Zakeyo

The Drug Fight Malawi says football sponsorship by Nyasa Tobacco Manufacturing Company and all related tobacco and alcohol manufacturing companies is against the fight to end tobacco and alcohol consumption among youth in the country.

The institution made the remarks in Lilongwe when making a call requesting the local football governing body Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to support Big Bullets and all other football clubs to find an alternative source of funding.

Executive Director for Drug Fight Malawi, Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyo said the institution does not welcome the recent football sponsorship signing agreement by Nyasa Tobacco Manufacturing Company with Big Bullets.

The institution consider the signing as a deliberate and well orchestrated strategy to market cigarette products and increase in take of the product by children.

He said; "Drug Fight Malawi would like to express its deep concern an fear of an increase in tobacco use by children and youths in the country following the recent sponsorship agreement between our popular football club, the Big Bullets and the Nyasa Tobacco Manufacturing Company as reported in the media of 4th November, 2015 that FIFA has made clearance permitting tobacco sponsorship of the football club."


Baziwelo Zakeyo made it a point that Drug Fight Malawi considers the tobacco sponsorship of the Big Bullets team as deliberate and well-over-orchestrated strategy of the Nyasa Tobacco manufacturing Company to market its products and increase tobacco consumption among children.


"This is sharp contradiction to the healthy lifestyle of sports as espoused by FIFA. Tobacco sponsorship of football clubs is also in conflict with Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) No. 3 which ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all at all ages.” he noted


He emphasised; “While acknowledging that tobacco is Malawi’s top forex earner, it is not in order to promote for the use of tobacco that would in turn see children using the product. The promotion of tobacco use will turn our own children into users and life smokers, hence dooming their future.


It is against this background that this organization is calling upon FAM and all other concerned officials in the country to work with not only Big Bullets but also all other sporting institutions to find alternative sponsors that would have no dangerous strings hidden.” he said


But Zakeyo said Drug Fight Malawi finds no fault on any assistance that cigarette manufacturers or any related company provides through corporate social responsibility to schools or hospitals.


Drug Fight Malawi works against use of tobacco, Marijuana, harmful alcohol consumption, and other related drugs of abuse.


Tobacco use is one of the greatest public health challenges facing the world today. The tobacco epidemic is spreading at an unprecedented rate, leading to nearby 6 million deaths globally each year from lung cancer, heart disease and other tobacco related illnesses and causing the death of one in ten adults. By 2030, it is estimated that tobacco related diseases will be the leading cause of death in Africa.


In Malawi, more than 26% of men and 7% of youth smoke tobacco. As an important risk factor for non-communicable diseases, tobacco use is aggravating these conditions in Malawi where already 1 in 3 (33%) adults aged 25 years and above is hypertensive.

Two Men Injured In Disastrous Accident In Zomba

Young driver and a bicycle taxi operator are battling for their lives at Zomba Central Hospital after being involved in a terrible car accident that took place at Zomba City boundary just before Chikupira river from Naisi to Chinamwali trading centre on Saturday between 5 and 6 pm.

Health Sector Needs Urgent Solutions

Civil Society Organizations, Health Professional Associations and Patients Interest Groups says Government should not hesitate to solve number of problems facing the health sector at the moment.

This was said following the petition delivered to the National Assembly on Friday through Chair person for the Health Committee of Parliament, Juliana Lunguzi.

The Groups says most Health sector services are crippled which are causing leading to the poor quality services to the patients.

Gift Trapence, executive director for Cedep who is one of the nine signatories for the petition said the solutions in the health sector are needed now.

The petitioners observe that Malawi continue to struggle in its quest to provide free health services but gains supposed to accrue to average Malawian continue being eroded due to challenges in drugs and medical supplies availability coupled with inadequate funding for the health sector.

  

They therefore asked the National Assembly to intervene to the current situation and on the adequate National Budget allocation to the health sector.

"We are concerned with the significantly reduced Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) allocation from K16.5 billion in 2014/2015 national budget to K12. 7 billion in 2015/2016 financial year.

This has affected the capacity of Ministry of Health to meet its obligations of ensuring quality care for all Malawians. District and Central Hospital received lowest allocation in recent years at 4.7% of the total of health sector budget leading to failure to settle water and electricity bills, stoppage of locum services, inadequate food for patients, challenges in referrals and failure to maintain equipment. There are no functional x-ray machines" reads petition

The petition adds: "We are concerned with Government failure to effectively address challenges surrounding drugs such as unavailability of drugs due to limited funding, drug pilferage and leakage, leading to low performance of curative services"

Among recommendations made in the petition includes increased national budget allocation to health of 15% of the total expenditure in order to meet Abuja Declaration to which Malawi is signatory.

It is also requesting Treasury to revise upwards the the ORT allocation to the sector and speedy process in the consultations on health financing including user fees as an option to sustainably finance the health sector. 

Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV AIDS (MANERERA+), Centre for Development of People (CEDEP), National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONM), Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), Pharmaceutical Society of Malawi, Medical Doctor's Union, Patient and Community Welfare Foundation, Radiographers Association and Paramedics and Allied Health Workers are the signatories to the petition.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene The Biggest Challenge Facing Disabled Malawians

You can see how unhappy I am in the toilet, I have to crawl and it is really unhygienic. I know I am putting myself at risk of infection but what other options do I have?

People with physical disability in Malawi names water, sanitation and hygiene facilities as the most challenging things to access in their daily lives.

Anecdotal results from Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Disability study done in Rumphi district in the northern part of Malawi by two English Universities and two Malawian universities, reveals that every single one of the participants in the study is facing at least one barrier, failure to access to good water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

 

The study which focuses on kinds of barriers that people with disability are facing, involved 35 people with physical disability who each one of them was given a camera and asked to take five photos of the biggest challenges that they face in their day to day life.

"What emerged from those images was that many people took photos of sanitation and hygiene challenges and problems of accessing water" revealed Sian White, a Research Assistant from the Environmental Health Group- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

She said participants weren't told in advance that it was a study on WASH and they ranked these problems as their biggest priority "And it was interesting how predominant these issues were" she added

"There is something that all of us can do to address this issue. I think as community members we need to be looking out for the different sanitation needs and the different water needs that other people in our communities might have. Listen to people with disability and ask them what their challenges are." White appealed

Sian White

As the final results from the study are yet to be known towards the end of the year, the project has already designed some simple low cost intervention to improve the situation through Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) which Sian White said have yielded quite a lot of positive response.

She said: "We have seen people with disabilities involved in designing their own toilets and sanitation facilities that best suit their own needs."

Among the proposed designs for the sanitation facilities includes; a simple stool or a chair with a hole which a person with disability can sit on while using the toilet and user friendly water sanitation facilities."So this is hopefully not one size fits all model." She added

She also mentioned that some communities in Rumphi have formed disability support groups of local savings and loan society where the proceeds finance the building of toilets for the people with disabilities.

Meanwhile the Chairperson for Lilongwe District Disability Forum, Mr. Juma Mkandawire also a Research Assistant in the project has emphasized that communities must wake up and begin to support people with disability by having in their homes or communities a water, sanitation and hygiene facilities that people with physical disability can find them user-friendly.

"We need to wake up, we must start to build toilets and sanitation facilities which are user friendly to people with disability so that they don't put their lives at risk when they use or try to access them" he said "The problem is huge in the country as the study has established. Because of poor structures, some disabled people have to crawl in toilet which is very unhygienic, in the process putting themselves at risk of infection"

Mkandawire however, has expressed hope that the study will go a long way in helping to address challenges being faced by people with disability.

On 7th October, through the project, both Sian and Mkandawire had a dissemination of the findings through photo exhibition of the preferred water and sanitation designs and other images taken by people with disability at Lilongwe Shopping Mall car park.

Sian said photos are much more engaging way of telling people stories, therefore, the exhibition was an act of finding for opportunity where people can walk past, think about these issues and stimulate interesting discussions. She also mentioned that they also engaged with policy makers and implementers in the WASH and disability sectors to see how these findings can influence their work.

It is expected that if the trials of the intervention achieve good results, the project will scale up across Malawi.

The WASH and Disability study began in 2014 and is expected to come to an end in mid 2016. It is collaboration between London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WEDC, Mzuzu University and the Centre for Social Research and the University of Malawi. The study is being funded by Australian Aid and Federation for the Disabled People in Malawi is also among partners in the research.

Global Fund Support To Save Millions Of Malawians-Mutharika

Global Fund gives Malawi US$378 million towards the fight of HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

US$346 million is for HIV and TB while US$32 million is for the fight against malaria. 

After signing Partnership and Acknowledgement of Grants Agreement with the Executive Director of the Global Fund, Mark Dybul, at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, President Peter Mutharika said the support will save millions of lives of people in the country.

There was excitement at Kamuzu palace when Malawi and Global Fund was signing Partnership and Acknowledgement of Grants Agreement 

The US$ 378 million support is the largest allocation that the Global Fund has made anywhere in the world and President Peter Mutharika said the support will save millions of lives of people.

Mutharika said there is need to strengthen tremendous gains made against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria because there is hope that Malawi can defeat also many other diseases that continue to afflict the country today. 

He said Government is committed to develop innovative ways of locally financing its HIV response and other health programs.

He also said his government has committed to pay US$30 million over a three-year period under the “Willingness to Pay”, towards the National Response to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. 

Minister of Finance, Goodall Gondwe, and Chairperson for Malawi Global Fund Coordinating Committee both assured Global Fund that strong measures are in place to ensure that the grant is used as outlined in the agreement.

The Executive Director of the Global Fund, Dr. Mark Dybul expressed hope that with Malawi will effectively and efficiently used the money because there is clear indication from its leadership in the fight of HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis globally.

Earlier, making goodwill messages, USA ambassador Virginia Parmer said this grant will help to drastically reduce HIV spread in Malawi and create a free HIV Generation.

While Ambassador Marchel Gerrmann Head of EU Delegation said the new agreement is a valuable contribution to Malawi which is facing at the moment economic problems.

But, UN HIV Director, Michael Sidibe, in a video clip said Malawi s making headways globally in the fight against HIV citing its commitment by adopting the Option B+ and Vision 909090.

In the three year agreement Malawi is expected to receive US$616 million to be divided between ActionAid, World Vision and Ministry of Health.

Stop Ill-treating Children With Life Limiting Illnesses; Hospital Is The Answer-CPC

Children’s Palliative Care (CPC) says cases of ill-treatment of children suffering from life limiting illnesses are growing rapidly every passing day in most communities across the country a situation is fueling deterioration in the condition of many little patients.

According to Jean Tauzie CPC Project Coordinator such abuses are being done by both members of communities, parents and guardians of children living with life limiting illnesses. She said some of the reports being received by the organization include reports of discrimination and several forms of abuse, of which some of them are very shocking.