Malawi set for another HIV testing week from August 6
Starting August 6th,
Malawi’s Ministry of Health (MoH) will be re-launching its HIV and AIDS Testing
and Counseling (HTC) week. The goal of HTC week is to instill change and reduce
the stigma and fear around getting tested for HIV/AIDS. Additionally, the
program provides a great starting point for prevention packages and services
including male circumcision, anti retroviral drugs, and prevention of mother to
child transmission.
This program was previously held in
2006, 2007, and 2008.
However, this HTC initiative faced many
challenges including problems with coordination, supply, and equal
distribution. The MoH took three years to evaluate and assess for improvements
in the program. More specific problems included running out of test kits and
inadequate infrastructure to support HTC initiatives in some regions of Malawi.
The Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health in the HIV and AIDS department
claims these issues have been addressed for this coming week. Development
partners, including the National Aids Commission (NAC) United Nations for
Children Fund (UNICEF), have pledged their full support during this weeklong
initiative as well.
Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/07/29/malawi-set-for-another-hiv-testing-week-from-august-6/
Malawi and Tanzania partner to improve the Songwe River
Basin
The governments of Malawi and Tanzania
have created a new multi-million dollar program to develop the Songwe River
Basin. The basin is currently plagued
with a number of issues, including unregulated water flow that leads to
frequent flooding and droughts, unstable access to fish resources, and lack of
access to safe water. The program,
titled the Songwe River Basin Development Programme, aims to “contribute to
economic growth” by reducing poverty, improving health and living conditions,
and boosting the food and energy security for people in the area. According to Christopher Sayi, the
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water in Tanzania, said the program will
also create numerous opportunities, such as “agricultural development,
hydropower, fisheries, water supply and sanitation, and recreation.” The project, which will be developed in
five components, was made possible by a grant from the African Water Facility.
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