Government to reinstate frontline nutrition officers

President Chakwera releases plans towards the nutrition strategy By Nellie Kapatuka, MANA President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered that frontline nutrition officers be reinstated part of the measures his administration has put in place in the fight against malnutrition in the country. Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday during the launch of the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) 3.0 strategy at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC), Chakwera said the country needs to invest into addressing health challenges being faced which become…

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Studies identify mental illnesses as second leading cause of disability and premature mortality

* Suicide cases in Malawi increased by 57% in 2020 resulting from extreme cases of mental health * Out of these figures a lot of men are killing themselves more than women * They are as a result of loss of hope in dealing with problems resulting from CoVID-19 * Looking at the trajectory there, figures are likely to go higher in 2021 – this is a concern to all of us By Duncan Mlanjira Mental health is one…

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SPARC Systems, Caring Hands Center partner to develop mental health awareness App

Caring Hands’ Spiwe Zulu (left) and SPARC’s Kasandala after signing the MoU * The Mental Lab App will automate the processes of awareness to individuals who are mentally disturbed * Or who are stressed and anxious and are seeking therapy to ease their state of mind * Plans are to scale it up to be able to deploy it across Africa and the world By Duncan Mlanjira Caring Hands Center Limited, a non-profit organization that promotes mental health awareness…

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CoVID-19 pandemic continues to spread despite reduction in number of cases

By Duncan Mlanjira The presidential taskforce on CoVID-19 alerts the public that despite the reduction in the number of cases being registered, the pandemic continues to spread across the country. In her Sunday situation resport, the taskforce’s co-chairperson, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, said this is the case because the communities continue to register transmission of the disease as evidenced by the number of new confirmed cases that are mostly locally transmitted as well as admissions and related deaths….

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Low response to CoVID-19 vaccination is due to rampant public misinformation—Malawi Red Cross Society

By Lydia Maganga, MANA Journalists in the country have been advised against sensationalizing reporting on the CoVID-19 vaccines but rather give out correct information to the public so that the uptake of the vaccine increases. This was said by Malawi Red Cross Society acting director of programme, Patrick Phiri  on Saturday during an orientation meeting in Blantyre where journalists were oriented on the best reporting practices on CoVID-19 vaccinations. He said that there is a lot of misinformation going…

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Sparc Systems encourages staff to get vaccinated by offering salary bonus as incentive

Sparc Systems managing director and founder, Wisely Phiri * One week salary, which is quarter of their monthly net * This include those that have received their first doses * We are doing our best to keep everyone healthy and safe in the working place * As of Sunday, 463,848 people have received the first dose of AstraZeneca and 159,229 their second jab * The single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is now available in vaccination sites…

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Presidential taskforce on CoVID-19 expresses concern on patients being brought to treatment units while in already severe state

Sunday’s situation report * Some patients are being brought in our treatment units already dead * Chances of one recovering increases when the disease is identified as early as possible * Public encouraged to call toll-free number 929 if unsure of what to do By Duncan Mlanjira The presidential task force on CoVID-19 has expressed concern that the country continues to lose productive citizens to the disease — some of whom could have survived if they were presented to…

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Under 18s advised not to be jabbed with Johnson and Johnson CoVID-19 vaccine

* This vaccine has an efficacy rate of 80% — Lilongwe District Health Office’s publicist * It has been clinically proven that children have higher immunity to COVID-19 * Unlike older people, who usually have underlying medical conditions that have the potential to exacerbate the disease * As of Wednesday,  456,126 people have received the first AstraZeneca jab while 142,178 received the second By Andrew Magombo, MANA & Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express As the country anticipates the first consignment…

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Over 58,000 Thyolo people to benefit from boreholes project by United Purpose

Most people draw water from unprotected sources * Every year tea farmers register high cases of diarrhoea and cholera due to use of water from unprotected sources * There was an increase of 5% in the rate of diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery and typhoid between 2019 and 2020 By Kiran Ntapasha, MANA Over 58,000 people from 37 villages under Senior Chief Khwethemule in Thyolo District are expected to access safe water under the United Purpose one year intervention called Beyond…

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One borehole serving 300 households in Lilongwe North East

The lone borehole By Tione Andsen, MANA Over 300 households in Lilongwe North East in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chimutu in Lilongwe use a single borehole as the only protected source of water, Village Head Mwendera has confirmed. During an Oxfam Media team that visited his area as a follow-up to CoVID-19 Response Project, the traditional leader said six villages of Mwendera, Mpesa, Chaziya, Kauma, Jani and Grant access the single borehole and that the area has…

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