A new president, a new HIV test, and a new World bank pledge for HIV prevention.
These are just a few of the numerous changes and transformations Malawi has seen over the past few weeks. While we've been busy preparing for our SchoolsWork program launch, Malaw has ushered in now President, Joyce Banda, and she's already expanding opportunities for Malawi to improve education and health initiatives, while strengthening foreign relations.
This week we look inside Malawi, with reports from local news sources following trending topics:
President Joyce Banda rallies for health of women and
children
Shortly
following her inauguration as president on April 7th, Joyce Banda initiated
the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health and Safe Motherhood. The goal of the initiative is to lower
Malawi’s high rates of maternal deaths.
In order to tackle this mission, Banda has vowed to work closely with
traditional village leaders, encouraging them to provide education on “safe
motherhood” to their communities.
Another factor vital to lowering the rate of maternal deaths is the
education of female children. While
addressing the Chief Steering Committee of the Presidential Initiative on
Maternal Health and Safe Motherhood, Banda emphasized the importance of sending
young girls to school. Without an
education, young girls are vulnerable to early marriages and pregnancies. Many Malawian girls cannot afford secondary school
because of the required fees. According
to Banda, the solution is easy; the school fees can be donated by those who are
financially able. “Most of these girls
can’t go to school because of K5,000 and many of us here in town spend more
than that in a day, yet we fail to pick one or two children and pay their
school fees” argued Banda.
Sources:
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| Submitted by Mohit Joshi |
Malawi testing effects of HIV saliva self-test
The
Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust and the London School of
Hygiene have begun researching the effects of HIV saliva self-tests in communities
across Malawi. The goal of the study is
to see if self-testing will lead to increased cases of HIV counseling and
care. Current stigma against HIV and
AIDS leave some citizens hesitant to get tested at clinics. Researchers are hopeful that the HIV
self-tests will provide confidentiality and convenience, resulting in an increased
number of people knowing if they are HIV negative or positive. The study will provide around 18,000 adults
from various high-density towns with oral HIV testing kits, which detect HIV by
testing an individual’s antibody response.
Previous research conducted by the Research Institute of the McGill
University Health Center and McGill University concluded that oral HIV testing
kits have comparable accuracy to HIV blood tests.
Source:
World Bank approves $80 million for prevention of
HIV/AIDS and reduction of child malnutrition
Promising
news came from the World Bank at the end of March. The World Bank has pledged $80 million to Malawi
through a project focusing on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and the decline of
child malnutrition. The goal of the
project highlights women and children, specifically working towards improving
their nutritional status and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The money will be invested in 15 districts
currently not covered by existing development plans. According to World Bank statistics, each year
“about
a quarter of the country’s new HIV infections result from mother-to-child
transmission. Malnutrition-related problems are also widely prevalent, with
child stunting at 47 percent.” The money
received from the World Bank will help Malawi get closer to the Millennium
Development Goals that are due in 2015.
Source:
Malawi devalues the Kwacha in order to meet IMF
conditions
Joyce
Banda has begun repairing the rocky relationship between past President Bingu
wa Mutharika and the International Monetary Fund, but it has come at a cost to
the Malawian people. International donors
previously halted support to Malawi after Mutharika refused to comply with many
IMF requirements. Although Mutharika devalued the kwacha 10% in December, it
was not enough to mend strained relationships between international donors and
the Mutharika administration. In order
to access blocked aid from the IMF, Banda has agreed to devalue Malawi’s
currency by 40%. Banda hopes that
devaluing the kwacha will influence the IMF to help reduce Malawi’s current food
and fuel shortages. As Banda stated in
an interview in South Africa, “We are willing to devalue, they are willing to
begin the process of engaging with us.
The sad bit is that we were advised to devalue three years ago. We didn’t listen, so now we have to do it all
at once.”
Source:
