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30 March 2022
Peace needs stronger institutions
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Malawi
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Malawi:
Story
26 February 2021
African LDCs can achieve SDGs
The Africa Regional Review Meeting which Malawi hosted this week (22 to 26 February) has generated concrete ideas on how to accelerate sustainable development in least developed countries (LDCs).
Speaking during the closing session of the meeting, which was held in preparation for the Fifth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries in Qatar next year, Malawi Vice President, Saulos Chilima, called on LDCs to improve on action to achieve agreed goals on sustainable development.
“LDCs have to embrace structural transformation which entails the transitioning from agriculture to manufacturing; increasing innovations to utilise our abundant resources; and focusing on value creation,” said Chilima.
He also said the international community should accelerate financial inclusion and access to resources to build resilience against shocks in LDCs.
On the impact of COVID-19 in LDCs, Chilima said: “We are hopeful that we will be finding innovative ways to build back better, cleaner and stronger.”
UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, said LDCs have the power to solve their challenges.
“Building back better will be a challenge, but there is hope when people in countries work together,” said ‘Utoikamanu. “The pandemic also presents an opportunity to do things differently and accelerate true transformation, for example, transforming the digital divide into a digital bridge.”
Speaking earlier during the closing session, Malawi Minister of Youth and Sports, Ulemu Msungama, briefed delegates on the Side Event on Youth and SDG Acceleration, which Malawi Government and the UN in Malawi co-hosted at the meeting on Tuesday (23 February).
Msungama said the side event demonstrated that LDCs will not achieve sustainable development if the majority of their populations, including the youth, are not included in development processes.
“Governments should meaningfully engage young people and provide a conducive environment for youth to participate at all levels of decision-making,” he said. “Governments should put in place deliberate systems and platforms that can strengthen and retain engagement, social contact, dialogue and trust with young people.”
During the side event, UN Resident Coordinator, Maria Jose Torres, said youth action and voice are critical to acceleration of the SDG agenda in LDCs.
“The only way to achieve the change that we need is through ensuring that youth are at the forefront of development initiatives in LDCs,” said Torres. “The UN is determined to tap into the creativity and potential of young people to advance sustainable development.”
Over 900 delegates registered for the Africa Regional Review Meeting which had eight dialogue sessions on topics such as building peaceful, just and inclusive societies; mobilizing resources for sustainable development in African LDCs; and social and human development in African LDCs.
The report of the Africa Regional Review Meeting will be submitted to the 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022 to feed into the development of a new Programme of Action to accelerate sustainable development in LDCs.
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26 February 2021
The world is in crisis: Transforming LDCs is imperative
COVID-19. Climate change. Economic collapse.
These crises are overlapping, existential and concurrent. And they herald great change, some of which is already upon us.
COVID-19 has been the latest catastrophe for Africa’s economies, collapsing commodity prices, disrupting manufacturing and virtually killing off international tourism.
The result has been a sharp reduction in GDP growth. Together with widening deficits, unsustainable debt, and a drop in Foreign Direct Investment and remittances, the effects of COVID-19 will jeopardize the progress of the Least Developed Countries in Africa towards sustainable development for years to come.
The virus knows no borders, and so the vaccine itself must not be subject to nationalism or protectionism. But likewise, climate response plans must be cooperative, ambitious and fair. Economic recovery packages must focus on debt eradication and have the most vulnerable at their heart.
This confluence of crises demands a new solidarity.
46 countries are designated as being the ‘least developed countries’ or LDCs - and 33 of these are in Africa.
These countries, from Angola to Zambia, face multiple challenges, including weak economies and low exports – issues that have only got worse since the pandemic struck. All of these problems are compounded by other challenges like conflict, inequality and climate change.
A high rate of urbanisation among African LDCs makes cities and urban centres increasingly vulnerable to the impact of disasters. Without strong and purposeful governance that aspires towards structural transformation and sustainable development, economic and social outcomes in these LDCs will remain weak.
A major meeting will be held virtually in Malawi this month to help build an ambitious new programme for action for LDCs to build momentum and partnerships as the final decade of action for the 2030 agenda gathers pace.
The meeting will assess how African LDCs and Haiti are achieving sustainable development, and agree recommendations to help them accelerate progress over the next decade. The meeting will also seek to strengthen support by the international community for the LDCs.
The outcome of the African Regional Review will lay out plans for a renewed partnership for sustainable development between the LDCs and their development partners.
That new partnership will be agreed at the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs – known as LDC5 – a major landmark in the efforts of LDCs and their partners to overcome core challenges, including the COVID crisis.
Hosted by Qatar and taking place in early 2022, decisions made by world leaders at LDC5 will have the potential to transform the lives of no less than a billion of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the African Regional Review meeting will be held online and bring together ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development from across the continent. They will be joined by representatives from development partner nations, international and regional organisations, the private sector, academia and civil society.
The meeting is based on a bottom-up approach to preparing for LDC5 that ensures the needs of LDCs are clarified and heard. African LDCs have already completed national reviews on development progress and these will be the main inputs for the regional meeting.
LDC5 will represent a reaffirmation of the global commitment to the special needs of LDCs at this critical time. With the COVID crisis still in full flame, climate change untamed and a new economic and debt crisis rolling around the world, the stakes for the conference could not be higher. And so, with a year to go, the preparatory process is already well underway.
It is not hyperbolic to suggest we are facing a difficult set of complex problems like humanity never has before. And, as is too often the case, it is the weakest economies and the most vulnerable countries that are facing the effects most.
It is precisely because of the scale of our problems that we must be honest with ourselves, and each other. We have the capacity to handle everything ahead of us – we just need the will. We have great multilateral systems of cooperation – we just need to invest in them. And we have incredible energy and activism, especially from our youth – we just need to listen to what they say.
The pandemic has erected physical borders between us, and these will be temporarily. We must not let it erect new ideological or political barriers, which will be far longer lasting.
Great change seems inevitable and just over the horizon. How we meet that change will not only say a lot about the systems we have built but will set the next course for humanity.
Authored by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), which supports groups of vulnerable countries in the United Nations System.
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22 May 2020
A Coordinated Response to Coronavirus
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the coronavirus (COVID-19) viral disease a pandemic, but it is a pandemic that can be controlled. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who heads the UN agency, said, in his statement, “Let me be clear: describing this as a pandemic does not mean that countries should give up.”
The UN Secretary-General urged all countries to take a comprehensive approach tailored to their circumstances – with containment as the central pillar. COVID-19 is affecting millions of people, impacting countries’ health systems and having widespread social and economic effects. The UN entities working on development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, are supporting countries in their preparedness and response plans.
This page convenes sources of information and guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) regarding the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
WHO is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to track the spread and to provide guidance to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.
Covid-19 Response in Malawi
The UN is providing decisive and coordinated support to Government efforts, together with development partners and non-government organizations, to strengthen the ability of Malawian institutions to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and ensure that no one is left behind. Technical advice provided by WHO has been critical to the design of Malawi’s national COVID-19 health sector plan, including establishing laboratory testing capacity and training public health specialists.
Key moments on Covid-19 response in Malawi
20 Mar 2020 : Declaration of State of National Disaster
02 Apr 2020 : First three Covid-19 cases are confirmed in Malawi
07 April 2020: First Covid-19 death was recorded in Malawi
08 Apr 2020 : National Preparedness and Response Plan seeking $345 million
14 Apr 2020 : 21-Day Lockdown declared: Minister and President statements
17 Apr 2020 : High Court grants 7-day court injunction against lockdown
29 Apr 2020 : High Court sustains injunction against the lockdown
04 May 2020: Humanitarian actors seek US$140.1 million in Emergency Appeal
01 Aug 2020: Zikomo Presidential Award for health workers introduced
09 Aug 2020: Govt stresses need to also treat other chronic illnesses
27 Aug 2020: Schools to start re-opening in phases from 7 Sep 2020
Guidance on Covid-19 response in Malawi
Malawi Public Health (Coronavirus and Covid-19) Prevention, Containment and Management Rules (2020) - August 2020
National Covid-19 Preparedness and Response Plan
Covid-19 Flash Appeal for Humanitarian Community in Malawi
Guidelines for Schools in Malawi on Prevention and Management of Covid-19
Covid-19 Workplace Guidelines for Malawi
Malawi Guidance on Face Masks
Guidance on Home-Based Management of Persons with Asymptomatic and Mild Covid-19
Covid-19 situation reports and updates for Malawi
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.40 as of 11th May 2021
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.39 as of 16th April 2021
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.38 as of 22nd March 2021
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.37 as of 10th March 2021
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.36 as of 29th January 2021
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.35 as of 18th January 2021
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.34 as of 31st December 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.33 as of 23rd December 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.32 as of 4th December 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.29 as of 9th October 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.28 as of 25th September 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.27 as of 18th September 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.26 as of 11th September 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.25 as of 04th September 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.24 as of 28th August 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.23 as of 21st August 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.22 as of 14th August 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.21 as of 7th August 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.20 as of 31st July 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.19 as of 24th July 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.18 as of 17th July 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.17 as of 10th July 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.16 as of 3rd July 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.15 as of 26th June 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.14 as of 19th June 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.13 as of 12th June 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.12 as of 05th June 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.11 as of 29th May 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.10 as of 22nd May 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.09 as of 15th May 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.08 as of 08th May 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.07 as of 01st May 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.06 as of 24th April 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.05 as of 17th April 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.04 as of 10th April 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.03 as of 03rd April 2020
Malawi COVID-19 Situation Update No.02 as of 27th March 2020
Daily Updates:
COVID-19 Daily Situation Reports by Public Health Institute of Malawi
Covid-19 platforms in Malawi
COVID-19 National Information Dashboard
COVID-19 3W Interactive Dashboard-Malawi
Malawi Emergency Appeal Financial Tracking
COVID-19 Calendar of Meetings
General guidance on Covid-19
COVID-19 Technical Guidance
COVID-19 Advice for the Public
Busting Myths on COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Advice on Use of Masks to Prevent COVID-19 infections
Covid-19 and leaving no one behind
COVID-19 and Human Rights
Impact of COVID-19 in Africa
Impact of COVID-19 on Women
Impact of COVID-19 on Children
Impact of COVID-19 on Older Persons
Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19
COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health
Responding to Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19
UN Framework for Immediate Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19
The Secretary-General's UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund
Covid-19 Research and Development
Global research on coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
To stay up to date with the latest information, please visit:
World Health Organization
Latest news on the United Nations’ response
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Situation
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30 March 2022
Peace needs stronger institutions
On 22 March 2022, Malawi’s Parliament chalked a milestone by passing the Peace and Unity Bill. Albeit debate on the necessity of the bill, Parliament passed the bill that relates to an essential feature of democracy and sustainable development: peace.
The bill provides for establishment of a legislative framework for promoting peace and unity in Malawi in a coordinated, collaborative and structured manner in order to achieve political prosperity and sustainable socio-economic development.
The bill is a culmination of extensive stakeholder consultations dating back to 2013 that also birthed the National Peace Policy adopted by the government in August 2017.
Is the Peace and Unity Bill necessary? This is the burning question that has been hovering around for months since the draft of the bill was released.
Malawi has been a peaceful and stable country for many decades. But experience teaches us that the human family can never rest on its laurels when it comes to safeguarding peace and stability, and making them more permanent features of a democratic society.
Since 1964, Malawi has relied on non-violent and traditional means of resolving disputes, managing conflicts and maintaining peace. The country’s enviable record of holding at least five mainly peaceful general elections, and three peaceful transfers of power between opposing political parties makes Malawi a shining example in the region and globally.
For Malawi to keep up with this good tradition, Malawi’s mechanisms for resolving differences and conflicts need to be stronger, more inclusive and deeply entrenched for the country to continue enjoying long-term stability and lasting peace. This is why the United Nations welcomes Malawi Parliament’s passing of the Peace and Unity Bill that builds on the National Peace Policy adopted four years ago.
As alluded to in the policy, some peace issues require close attention by a Peace and Unity Commission that the bill proposes to establish. These include strengthening legal and policy frameworks for dialogue, addressing political patronage, patrimonialism, political tensions, advancing respect for cultural and religious diversity, ensuring equal access to development and opportunities, including for women and youth, and many more.
Conflict prevention is increasingly getting recognized as a rational and cost-effective strategy for countries that face risks of violence. The efforts to enact a law on peace and unity, therefore, give Malawi leverage to build national capacities for conflict prevention where homegrown solutions are dominant discourses in peacebuilding.
Efforts to create national institutions like the Peace and Unity Commission also demonstrate Malawi’s commitment to international and regional agreements which underline the need for coordination in peacebuilding and the establishment of national institutions for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which encourages strengthening of national institutions at all levels to prevent violence and promote peace under SDG16.
As it has been demonstrated in countries such as Ghana, a Malawi Peace and Unity Commission would offer a platform for consultation and cooperation among main stakeholders to promote reconciliation, tolerance, trust and confidence-building, mediation, and dialogue.
Ghana’s National Peace Council has been responsive to a wide range of challenges and has mediated or facilitated dialogues on diverse issues. The proposed Malawi Peace and Unity Commission promises to be a fundamental structure that would foster collaborative partnerships for peacebuilding and conflict transformation across the government, civil society, and different actors to sustain peace in Malawi.
Sustaining a resilient and peaceful Malawi requires having in place a functional structure that builds constructive social relationships and institutions to resolve conflicts through dialogue. Such a mechanism enables a deeper understanding of how and where tensions may arise and creates room for effective response before tensions erupt into violent conflicts.
Peace benefits everyone, and needs stronger institutions to protect and nurture it by continuously addressing all root causes and drivers of tensions and conflicts.
Written by Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara
The author is the UN Resident Coordinator (ad interim) and UNDP Resident Representative in Malawi.
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11 March 2022
Malawi Launches the National Voluntary Review (VNR) of the Agenda 2030
The Minister of Finance, Honourable Sosten Gwengwe, has urged stakeholders in the country to focus on Sustainable Development Goals that will help in laying solid foundations for achieving an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialised nation.
Speaking when he launched the National Voluntary Review (VNR) of the agenda 2030 in Lilongwe, held under the theme: Reviewing Malawi’s readiness to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, Honourable Gwengwe said he was pleased to note that Malawi is reviewing all 17 SDGs to appreciate the level of progress and effort in achieving them. The United Nations encourages countries conducting National Voluntary Reviews to mainly focus on five SDGs.
“It is pleasing to note that Malawi is reviewing all 17 SDGs to track milestones regarding the achievement of the Goals. I urge all stakeholders to fully own the process and ensure citizens are involved,” said Gwengwe.
Speaking earlier, United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i. Shigeki Komatsubara applauded the Malawi Government for undertaking the second VNR in a space of two years, after 2020, saying it demonstrates Malawi’s commitment to achieving the SDGs.
“The Malawi Government has shown great commitment in its efforts to effectively implement the agenda 2030 and achieve the SDGs, we are fully committed to support the process to ensure Malawi delivers a credible VNR,” said Komatsubara.
The UN Resident Coordinator a.i. said technical support from the United Nations system is being provided through the Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory Group (MEAG).
“The MEAG is providing relevant information collected from the UN family, supporting the development of data collection tools, and is helping to review the inputs collected during the consultations and just like the last VNR, the UN system is happy to assist the government in accessing available regional and global resources that will strengthen the VNR process in Malawi,” he said.
Komatsubara added that the UN system has already mobilized around USD 86,000 to help with the consultations, data collection and analysis and other logistical processes. He said the UN will also avail its technical expertise to support the government in undertaking public consultations and engagement across different stakeholders including local leaders, chiefs, faith-based organisations and their leaders, youth, women and children, communities, Persons with Disabilities, and refugees.
Voluntary National Review is a mechanism for tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the national level and reporting on them at the global level annually, specifically at the High-Level Political Forum under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council.
Malawi will present its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) Report on progress around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 2022 High-Level Political Forum in July this year.
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14 January 2022
COVID-19 Vaccines on wheels
It’s a sunny Tuesday morning in Boyole Village, 25km north of Kasungu district in Central Malawi.
The rainy season in the tobacco-growing district is blighted by a prolonged heatwave that makes long walks unbearable for many, but Egrita Phiri appears undeterred.
The mother of seven is returning from her maize field when she hears a branded van playing hit songs and messages on the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
She promptly waves the vaccination express to stop under a mango tree by her house.
“There is no better time to protect myself,” she says: “With this, I don’t have to endure long travels in the scorching sunshine or pay for transport to get vaccinated.”
As community health workers write down her background information in a register and on a green card, more villagers arrive to get vaccinated.
A story of love
Some 15 more people got vaccinated by the time the team deployed by Kasungu District Health Office with support from UNICEF Malawi and Kamuzu College of Health Sciences departed for the next stop. UNICEF is also supporting safe storage and distribution of the vaccines the Government of Malawi acquires through the COVAX facility backed by the World Health Organisation.
“I am now vaccinated to protect myself and my family from the current and future COVID-19 waves. Surely, I wouldn’t have been vaccinated if the van had not come close to home,” Egrita says.
For the wife of village chief Boyole, protecting one another is a love story.
“No one is safe until we all get vaccinated,” she said after getting the first jab of AstraZeneca. She is due for the second in March.
Her husband got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in August at Kasungu District Hospital.
The couple first heard of the COVID-19 vaccination on the radio in March 2021 when Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera publicly got his first shot, kick-starting the nationwide campaign.
“That showed me the vaccine was safe, but it wasn’t easily accessible,” says the woman whose desire to get vaccinated was ramped up by deaths of over 2 000 Malawians, including two ministers and four lawmakers.
The third and deadliest wave forced the government to turn a presidential palace and a stadium into emergency hospitals to lessen pressure on the healthcare system.
“COVID-19 doesn’t choose, so my husband did well to protect himself. I have been hearing health workers on the radio saying most of those hospitalised or dying from the virus are those who shun the vaccine. I need to be healthy to take care of my family, crops and the community,” she explains.
Symbol of acceptance
Egrita’s husband, Group Village Headman Boyole is happy that his wife is no longer a symbol of vaccine hesitancy.
He considers the jab as the single most important weapon against the virus, which has claimed over 2000 lives in Malawi.
He states: “After three futile trips to Kasungu District Hospital, which cost about K10 000 (about $12), I received the vaccine together on 23 August 2021 to protect myself, my family and my people.
“I wish I had done it in my village for my people to learn from me. The vaccine is safe and my wife was motivated because it didn’t kill me. Bringing it closer to those who need is increasing the number of those getting vaccinated and the understanding that it is safe for everyone.”
The vaccinators also address questions face-to-face, clarifying fears, myths and misconceptions.
This excites GVH Boyole, who publicly talks about the dangers of COVID-19 and the benefits of the free vaccines, including during meetings and funerals.
“Every adult should protect themselves,” he says. “With the express vaccination van, no one bears any financial cost or hardships to get vaccinated. Instead of going to them, the health workers are coming to us.”
Mercy Tchale, one of 16 health surveillance assistants at Dwangwa Health Centre, was accustomed to promoting sanitation and hygiene, family planning, immunisation for children aged below five and monitoring their growth curve.
However, COVID-19 has pushed her to the frontline where she now promotes preventive measures and administers vaccines to communities surrounding the rural health facility.
“The pandemic challenges us to embrace innovative ideas to protect our people and the understaffed health sector from being overwhelmed,” she says.
The community health worker assures everyone that COVID-19 vaccines are like any other—a shot at a healthy life in a world struggling with contagious diseases.
She explains: “The number of people who were coming to the health facility to get vaccinated was fewer than 20 a day, but now we are vaccinating over 100 when we go to them.
“This is a no mean achievement. Clearly, people no longer have to stop doing activities that bring food to their homes and travel long to get vaccinated.”
Tackling misinformation
Joseph Chitsime, coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Kasungu, is excited that the mobile teams have helped clear doses that would have expired on New Year's eve.
The team vaccinates in a day the count they once did in eight days, he says.
“Before we rolled out the vaccination express on 7 November 2021, we were lucky if 40 people came to get vaccinated in all our health facilities. Now our four teams vaccinate 250 to 300 a day,” explains Chitsime.
The express vaccination team includes health promoters who spread accurate messages about the vaccine, HSAs who go door-to-door and stop in strategic places to vaccinate those who are willing and community leaders who mobilise their people.”
Original Source
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15 October 2021
First Lady calls for more empowerment of girls withdrawn from early marriages
The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi Monica Chakwera has called for more innovative and strategic ways of supporting girls that are withdrawn from early marriages if Malawi is to move towards great milestones in the fight against violence against the girl child.
Chakwera made the remarks on International Day of the Girl Child during the screening of ‘A Girl’s Gaze’ – a documentary by Belgian Journalists focusing on issues of gender-based violence, including child marriage, girls trafficking and girls’ position in society, as well as how these are exacerbated by climate change.
The First Lady said it was disheartening to watch girls continue to face a lot of challenges even after being withdrawn from the marriages and deciding to start all over.
“This documentary has challenged us all to think through and deeply on strategies that will ensure girls withdrawn from child marriages don’t go back there,” she said.
Chakwera commended the strides the Spotlight Initiative is registering in eliminating violence against women and girls, but said more efforts are needed from all stakeholders to win the fight against gender-based violence as Malawi still ranks 12th on child marriages globally.
“I am very happy to hear that the Spotlight Initiative, which is a partnership between the EU and UN has registered tremendous results in six districts since its inception. I do hope that the good practices in these six districts will trickle down and impact the lives of girls in the other districts as well,” said Chakwera.
Speaking earlier during a panel discussion that was organized as part of the event, United Nations Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres said, besides other factors such as poverty, climate change has greatly contributed to child marriages in the country. Torres said girls are forced into early marriages due to pressures that homes experience as a result of the effects of climate change such as drought.
“Climate change has really exacerbated child marriages in most least developed countries (LDCs), including Malawi. We need to put into action different commitments made to mitigate the impacts of climate change. It is encouraging to note that Malawi has included climate change as a priority in its long-term development strategy, the Malawi Vision 2063,” she said.
In his remarks, European Union Ambassador to Malawi Rune Skinnebach said achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls are vital to building fair, inclusive, prosperous, and peaceful societies everywhere.
“It is sad that when experiencing acute poverty, families and sometimes girls themselves see marriage as a way to reduce family costs and gain financial security,” said Skinnebach.
In her introduction to the documentary, A Girl’s Gaze, General Representative of Flanders in Southern Africa Dr. Geraldine Reymenants said the documentary was developed to raise awareness and stir a debate around issues relating to empowerment of girls.
“Let us see the girls included in the documentary as individuals who are being empowered and not as victims,” she added.
The screening of A Girl’s Gaze is being spearheaded by the Embassy of Belgium and the EU in partnership with the United Nations in Malawi. Besides screening in Lilongwe and Blantyre, the documentary will also be screened for girls in secondary schools across the country.
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03 October 2021
Scaling up the fight against malnutrition
The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Ms. Gerda Verburg visited Malawi from 31 August to 3 September 2021. During the visit, she participated in the launch of Malawi’s Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN 3.0) Strategy and interact with various stakeholders on efforts to eliminate malnutrition in the country.
Verburg speaks more about the fight against malnutrition in the responses below:
The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement was established over a decade ago to end malnutrition. What progress has the SUN movement achieved in countries like Malawi to eliminate malnutrition since it was established?
I’m pleased to share that the SUN Movement has supported its now 64 member states to make some significant nutrition advances. Malawi has created one of the first SUN country movements. Support comes through an expanding network community that today includes more than 3,000 civil society organisations, some 900 small and medium-sized businesses, and 16 United Nations agencies, both in-country and international.
Currently, 23 SUN countries are on track to reach the global breastfeeding target, while 35 are on track to reach the global child overweight target, and 10 are on track to reach the global stunting target – and these figures are increasing each year.
It is exciting to see is the transformation of “how” countries are tackling malnutrition. Many are now applying the SUN multi-stakeholder, multisectoral approach. In fact, 42 SUN Member States now have a national nutrition plan which brings together sectors and stakeholders, while 19 countries have included their national SUN Focal Point in their national emergency response team. It is “a must” to include food and nutrition security in each and every emergency response team.
Malawi has launched the Scaling Up Nutrition 3.0 Strategy. What does this mean to nutrition efforts in the country? How crucial is this strategy?
It was an honour to take part in Malawi’s launch of the SUN 3.0 Strategy. The powerful launch event really demonstrated the strong energy, commitment, and ambition here in Malawi – across all sectors, led by the President – to fight malnutrition in all its forms, towards making good nutrition understood, accessible and affordable for every family in Malawi. I was also touched by the strong and concrete commitments of 10 stakeholder groups, including traditional and religious leaders, media and young people. I will share this inspiring example with other SUN country movements.
The SUN 3.0 Strategy further strengthens the “country-driven and country-led” approach of SUN, which has always been at our core. What we saw and heard at the launch event was that the SUN 3.0 Strategy is one catalyst to bring all people together to fight malnutrition as one, because “nutrition is the engine of change and progress”. If Malawi gets nutrition right, socio-economic development, better education, health, productivity, escaping poverty innovation and sustainability will follow easily. Why? Because nutrition is an investment in human capacity and human capacity is the best capital a country has to catalyse development.
Malawi is a leader among others in how it is engaging with the SUN 3.0 multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder approach, and should be applauded for this.
Considering that Malawi has been implementing SUN interventions for more than 10 years, do you see any difference that the new strategy has from the previous efforts to eliminate malnutrition in the country?
Malawi has been a SUN Movement Member Country since 2011, and since then has demonstrated clear achievements. So much so, that it was one of the first SUN Early Risers – those developing countries that had begun to scale up nutrition action at the national level.
The expectation now is that, with the implementation of SUN 3.0, Malawi will further gear up to make significant measurable strides in tackling malnutrition by strengthening and expanding its multistakeholder and multisectoral collaboration at community and district levels
Malawi is often criticised for having good policies and strategies which it fails to fully implement. How do you assess the implementation of the previous SUN strategies in Malawi?
The numbers speak for themselves here in Malawi. As national SUN Focal Point Dr Felix Pensulo Phiri shared during the launch event, since joining the SUN Movement in 2011, this enabling environment has helped Malawi to reduce stunting from 47% to 33% in 2021; iron deficiency from 51% to 22%; and Vitamin A deficiency from 22% to 4%. These are quite significant figures.
But more progress still needs to be made, and new forms of malnutrition are making their way to Malawi, that will now need to be tackled. Overweight is increasing in the country, and it is impacting everyone – children and adults, men and women. This causes not just health issues, but also economic issues for a nation.
As the President pointed out at the launch event, trying to respond to problems is more expensive than investing in preventing them from happening. And so, it is encouraging to see that Malawi is now poised to invest in more preventative actions through investing in human and financial capacity. This is the kind of systemic change needed to make malnutrition part of history in Malawi.
What support will the the SUN Movement be providing to ensure the new SUN 3.0 strategy is fully implemented in Malawi?
The SUN Movement is comprised of a SUN Business Network, a SUN Civil Society Network, UN Nutrition, a SUN Donor Network and a SUN Movement Secretariat. Through our new SUN 3.0 Strategy, these structures will be closely aligned and will work jointly and complementarily to further strengthen support tailored to the demand and need of Malawi.
Malnutrition is compounded by the recurring climate crisis as communities and families often lose their livelihoods and food when disasters strike. How can countries like Malawi build resilience for good nutrition?
This is very critical question, and very relevant. During the launch event, the President highlighted the importance of diversifying diets here in Malawi. Specifically, he called on the people of Malawi to commit to reducing their nsima consumption by 10% per year and replacing this with other more nutritious foods. I applaud the President for this very concrete guidance on what is needed and what families can do themselves All men, women and young people, have a role to play in awareness raising and decision making on good nutrition, and this, together with the reform of the Malawian Food System, will certainly strengthen the resiliency of your beautiful country to move towards more food diversity that is nutritious and affordable and less dependence on costly food imports during lean seasons.
Women play a vital role in ensuring good nutrition for households. What is the cost of leaving women behind on nutrition and how can this be avoided so that women are at the forefront of efforts to end malnutrition in communities?
Yes, women play a vital role in ensuring good nutrition, and women also suffer disproportionately from malnutrition. But, as I said at the launch event, it is not solely a women issue. Nutrition requires the commitment of everyone – across ministries, throughout communities, and within families. It is about women, but men need to rise up to invest in their families, their communities, and their future.
The cost of malnutrition, in all its forms, carries huge direct and indirect costs to individuals, families and to entire nations. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that the impact on the global economy could be as high as US$3.5 trillion per year, or US$500 per individual. Malawi is losing 10.6% of GDP annually due to hampered productivity caused by malnutrition.
But malnutrition does more than cost dollars, it costs lives. It is estimated that up to 45% of all preventable child deaths are caused by undernutrition, while severely undernourished children are up to nine times more likely to die than well-nourished children. Ensuring women have access to good nutrition goes a long way to ensuring that their children do too.
What things need to change to ensure every child, adolescent, mother, and family realises their right to food and nutrition to reach their full potential?
This requires the multi-stakeholder and multisector approach outlined in SUN 3.0. It takes the involvement of stakeholders from government, but also of businesses, civil society, academia, clergy – everyone; and the involvement of all sectors including the health sector, but also the finance, agriculture, social protection, gender, planning, education, religious and local sectors.
Only if all these players really work together on implementation at the family and community levels can game-changing transformation happen in our efforts to bring good nutrition to everyone, everywhere.
With the UN Food Systems Summit happening in New York on 23rd September 2021, how can countries like Malawi take advantage of the Summit to boost efforts to end malnutrition?
The UN Food Systems Summit and the upcoming global Nutrition for Growth Summit in Tokyo in December provide good mechanisms through which countries, including Malawi, can share their commitments to achieving their nutrition goals. Both summits also promote a country-based multi-stakeholder and multisectoral approach, so leveraging these can also benefit Malawi.
I’ve invited the President, the government, and all stakeholders to make strong commitments at each of these summits. By doing this, Malawi could inspire other countries to step up as well. Besides this, 2022 will very likely be the “African year of nutrition and investing in human capacity”, which is a great year to set the pace towards Africa becoming a healthy and nutritious food basket for countries and worldwide.
From a food systems perspective, transformation means progress towards all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We can no longer afford to sit in silos looking at only one aspect without looking at others.
For this reason, I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to meet this week with Malawi’s Honourable Ministers of Health, Agriculture and Finance to explore with each this important multisectoral approach. Very fruitful discussions took place in this regard.
Do you have any additional comments on this issue?
It was great to participate in the ambitious launch. I now look forward to ambitious impact and the SUN Movement Global Support System will be there to support where needed.
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Press Release
24 May 2022
Three peacekeepers from Malawi to be honoured posthumously at UN ceremony
Press Release
UN Headquarters will observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday, 26 May 2022. Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to honour the nearly 4,200 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948 and will preside over a ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 117 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their life serving under the UN flag last year.
Among the peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously are three from Malawi who served with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO): WO1 Mcdonald Kufa Kangoni, Private Chitenji Kamanga, and Corporal Maxwell Nyirenda.
Malawi is the 30th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently deploys 771 military and police personnel to the UN operations in Abyei, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and Western Sahara.
During a special ceremony, the Secretary-General will award the “Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage” posthumously to Captain Abdelrazakh Hamit Bahar of Chad, who served with the United Nations Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The medal is named for a Senegalese peacekeeper who was killed in Rwanda in 1994 after saving countless civilian lives. This is the second time the medal has been awarded since the inaugural medal was presented to Captain Diagne's family in his honour in 2016.
The Secretary-General will also award the ‘2021 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award’ to Major Winnet Zharare, a Zimbabwean military observer, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan. Created in 2016, the Award “recognises the dedication and effort of an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.”
In his message, the Secretary-General said: “Today, we honour the more than one million women and men who have served as UN peacekeepers since 1948. We pay tribute to the nearly 4,200 heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace. And we are reminded of an age-old truth: peace can never be taken for granted. Peace is the prize. We are deeply grateful to the 87,000 civilian, police and military personnel now serving under the UN flag who are helping to realize the prize of peace worldwide.”
The theme for this year’s observance is “People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships.” According to the Secretary-General, “Around the globe, UN peacekeepers work with Member States, civil society, humanitarians, the media, the communities they serve and many others, to foster peace, protect civilians, promote human rights and the rule of law, and improve the lives of millions of people.”
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said: “Every day, UN peacekeepers work to protect vulnerable people in the world’s most fragile political and security situations. The dangers they face are greater than ever, with increasing global tensions, ever-more complex threats from terrorist attacks to organized crime and the use of Improvised Explosive Devices as well as a surge in mis and disinformation targeting our missions and the communities we serve. Despite these challenges, peacekeepers persevere alongside our many partners in the collective pursuit of peace. Today, we thank them for their tremendous contribution and remember with great sorrow our colleagues who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the cause of peace.”
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the General Assembly in 2002, to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. The General Assembly designated 29 May as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in commemoration of the day in 1948 when the UN’s first peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), began operations in Palestine. Since then, more than one million women and men have served in 72 UN peacekeeping operations.
Schedule of Events at Headquarters on 26 May
09:30 a.m.: The Secretary-General will lay a wreath in honour of fallen peacekeepers at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site on the North Lawn. (If inclement weather, the ceremony will be held near the Chagall window in the Visitors’ Lobby). Only UN Photo and UN TV will cover the ceremony. It will not be webcast live, but will be available on demand soon after the event: https://media.un.org/
10:00 a.m.: The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, Military Gender Advocate of the Year, and Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage ceremonies will be held in the Trusteeship Council and shown live on UN Webcast: https://media.un.org/
12:00 p.m.: Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix will be the guest at the noon briefing. It will be webcast live at https://media.un.org/
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Media Contacts: Douglas Coffman, Department of Global Communications: +1 (917) 361-9923, e-mail: coffmand@un.org; or Hector Calderon, Department of Peace Operations +1 (917) 226 5219 e-mail: hector.calderon@un.org
For more information, please visit the Peacekeepers Day websites here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/peacekeepers-day; or
https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/international-day-of-peacekeepers-2022
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Press Release
08 April 2022
Malawi launches Education Plus Initiative at the High-level Intergenerational Dialogue on Generation Equality and Women’s Leadership
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
Malawi launches Education Plus Initiative at the High-level Intergenerational Dialogue on Generation Equality and Women’s Leadership.
WHEN: Friday, 8th April 2022. 9:00 am
WHERE: Bingu International Conference Center (BICC), Lilongwe, Malawi.
WHY: Adolescent girls and young women in Malawi continue to experience multiple marginalizations, face unequal gender power dynamics and remain at a greater risk of acquiring HIV. They are 2.5 times more likely than their male peers to acquire HIV, and more than 51% of new HIV infections in the country are among this group.
Despite progress over the years, only 27% of girls enrol in secondary school, only 13% will attend, and less than 5% will complete secondary education. The country still has a high rate of teenage pregnancy – 29% of adolescent girls aged 15–19 are already mothers or pregnant with their first child and the proportion keeps increasing. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these vulnerabilities and calls for a renewed comprehensive response and action to guarantee girls’ and young women's health and education rights today. Adolescent girls in Malawi are especially at risk of never returning to school, and digital divides bar many from remote learning.
The pandemic has heightened the risk and vulnerability to gender-based violence, child marriage, maternal mortality, unintended pregnancy, HIV and other sexual and reproductive health consequences. One in five girls has been sexually abused before they reach 18 years.
Adolescent girls and young women also shoulder the burdens of unpaid care and domestic work, further reducing their chances of ever returning to school. There are limited opportunities for skilling for the many who are out of school. The loss of livelihoods over the last two years threatens to entrench and trap millions in cycles of poverty and extreme vulnerabilities.
Malawi is not alone; many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by the AIDS epidemic. Every week, approximately 4 200 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa acquire HIV. In 2020, five in six adolescents aged between 15-19 newly acquiring HIV in the region were girls. And an estimated 23 300 adolescent girls and young women died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2020, making it the second leading cause of death of adolescent girls and young women after maternal mortality.
Evidence shows that education provides protective advantage for girls in reducing their risk of HIV infection. Completion of secondary education by adolescent girls has reduced HIV infection by up to one-half in some countries. In response, five UN agencies - UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women - launched the Education Plus initiative at the Generation Equality Forum in 2021.
WHAT: This week at the high-level intergenerational dialogue on generation equality and women’s leadership, the Malawi Government will join the United Nations to launch the Education Plus Initiative in Malawi in line with the continental efforts.
The new five-year game-changing initiative calls for political action and leadership to step-up policies and investments that work best for adolescent girls’ and young women’s agency and for countries’ growth and prosperity. Through the initiative, government leaders, development partners, civil society, community and young women leaders are coming together in a renewed push for free access to quality secondary education for all girls and boys by 2025 while providing a Plus package to protect health rights and deliver on gender equality and the empowerment of girls and young women in Africa.
In addition to universal secondary education, the initiative calls for universal access to comprehensive sexuality education; fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights; freedom from gender-based and sexual violence; school-to-work transitions, and economic security and empowerment.
For more information on Education Plus Initiative, visit https://www.unaids.org/en/topics/education-plus
MEDIA CONTACTS
Phillip Pemba, Communications Officer, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Malawi on phillip.pemba@un.org.
ABOUT UN IN MALAWI
Currently, there are more than 20 Agencies and specialized organizations of the United Nations active in Malawi which, through their work, contribute to ensuring a better life for the people of Malawi. The UN contributes towards national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), a joint cooperation agreement between the UN and the Government of Malawi.
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Press Release
04 March 2022
Humanitarian partners seek $29.4 million to assist people hardest hit by Tropical Storm Ana in Malawi in support of the Government-led response
(Lilongwe, 4 March 2022) - Humanitarian partners in Malawi have launched a Flash Appeal that urgently seeks US$29.4 million to provide vital assistance to 542,000 people who have been hardest hit by Tropical Storm Ana for the next three months, in support of the Government-led relief efforts.
Tropical Storm Ana passed through many districts in southern Malawi in late January 2022, leaving behind devastation and destruction. Over 990,000 people were affected by the storm, according to Government figures. The Flash Appeal focuses on the six hardest-hit districts of Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe, Mulanje, Chiradzulu and Balaka, where an estimated 680,000 people are in need of life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance and protection.
The Flash Appeal brings together the most time-sensitive and critical response activities of 44 partners—the Malawi Red Cross, seven national NGOs, 26 international NGOs and 10 UN agencies—and all of the work carried out under the appeal will directly complement the Government of Malawi’s ongoing relief efforts.
“We have worked hard to ensure that this appeal is prioritized and principled, and we are confident that the activities planned are those that are most urgently needed to deliver immediate relief to the people who need it most,” said the UN Resident Coordinator a.i., Shigeki Komatsubara.
“While we are conscious that humanitarian support is not a long-term solution to the recurrent climatic shocks that continue to increase in frequency and intensity in Malawi, we are faced today with an urgent need to act swiftly to save the lives and livelihoods of those whose homes and crops have been upended by Tropical Storm Ana,” he added.
Expressing appreciation for the solidarity already shown by the international community in response to Tropical Storm Ana—including the $3 million allocated by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support urgent humanitarian actions—the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. called for further support to the people of Malawi at this extremely challenging time.
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Currently, there are more than 20 Agencies and specialized organizations of the United Nations active in Malawi which, through their work, contribute to ensuring a better life for the people of Malawi.
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Press Release
25 February 2022
Norwegian Minister Tvinnereim and IFAD President Houngbo visit Malawi in wake of storms to discuss climate resilience and hunger
Rome, 25 February 2022 – With Malawian farmers still reeling from tropical storms that devastated crops and livelihoods in recent weeks, Norway’s Minister of International Development and the President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will visit the country to meet its leaders and small-scale farmers to discuss the impacts of climate change, and ways to build resilience.
“Extreme weather events have increased globally and have recently wreaked destruction in Malawi – and it is the small-scale farmers who are feeling the brunt of it. My urgent call is to step up investments in adaptation and resilience to ensure that climate change does not deepen hunger and poverty,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, ahead of the visit.
“Food security is a main priority in Norway’s development policy because it is essential to fight inequality, poverty and hunger,” said Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norway’s Minister of International Development. “IFAD’s projects and programmes enable small-scale farmers and fishermen to produce enough, safe and healthy food in climate-smart ways. Therefore, I am looking forward to a joint field visit with President Gilbert Houngbo to IFAD projects in Malawi. Norway will strengthen our partnership with IFAD and will top-up our core contribution significantly for 2022-24.”
Arriving on 27 February for a three-day visit, Tvinnereim and Houngbo will meet with Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera, the Minister of Agriculture, Lobin Lowe, and the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Sosten Alfred Gwengwe, to discuss investments in climate change resilience to achieve zero hunger and poverty targets in the country by 2030.
They will then travel to an IFAD-supported project to discuss the challenges of climate change and COVID-19 directly with small-scale farmers, particularly women, to see how targeted investments have built their resilience and boosted their food security, nutrition and gender equality. While in the country, they will also meet Rudolf Schwenk, United Nations Resident Coordinator (ad interim), the United Nations Country team, development partners and Farmers’ Organizations representatives working in Malawi.
Malawi is a relatively small country with an estimated population of about 19 million people, 83 percent of whom live in rural areas. Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, accounting for almost a quarter of Malawi’s GDP. However, many small-scale farmers battle to earn a decent living, with 70 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line of US$1.90 per day.
With improved processing technologies and farming methods, small-scale farmers can feed a growing population while restoring degraded ecosystems and reducing agriculture's carbon footprint. When they have access to weather forecasting information and disaster preparedness, they are more resilient to severe climate events, such as the tropical storms that resulted in a declaration of a state of emergency in the country last month. This requires increased investments in small-scale farmers, who are often the poorest and most marginalized rural people.
Since 1981, IFAD has financed 14 rural development programmes and projects in Malawi at a total cost of $653.67 million, with an IFAD investment of US$ 350.48 million. This has directly benefited more than 2 million rural households.
Contacts:
David F. Paqui
IFAD Communications Division
Tel: +390654592213
Cell: +393357516406
Email: d.paqui@ifad.org
Cell: +265 984306408 (Malawi)
Jens Christian Boysen
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Communication Unit
Cell: +47 94 98 20 99
Email: jens.christian.boysen@mfa.no
Phillip Pemba
UN Resident Coordinator Office
Cell: +265 995271671
Email: phillip.pemba@un.org
Press release No.: IFAD/XX/2022
IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided US$23.2 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached an estimated 518 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub.
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Press Release
11 January 2022
Protocols for Students Returning to Schools on 4th Jan 2022
PRESS STATEMENT
Lilongwe
Students in Day Institutions (Public and Private Primary, Secondary, Colleges and Universities)
Prior to reporting to Day Institutions, students that are feeling unwell should visit their nearest health facility for a health check. The health service provider will determine whether the student should be referred for a COVID-19 test or not. Students that test positive must isolate for 10 days at home before reporting to school.
During the course of the term if the student feels unwell he/she will be isolated and referred to the nearest health service provider who will determine whether the student should be referred for a COVID- 19 test or not. If the student tests positive, they will be required to isolate at home for 10 days.
Students in Boarding Institutions (Public and Private Primary, Secondary, Colleges and Universities)
Prior to reporting to Boarding Institutions, students that are feeling unwell should visit their nearest health facility for a health check. The health service provider shall determine whether the student should be referred for a COVID-19 test or not. Students that test positive will be required to isolate for 10 days at home before reporting to school.
When students arrive on the first day, they will be screened for symptoms of COVID- 19 (fever, cough, scratchy / sore throats, body pains, loss of taste and smell etc.) Students with symptoms of COVID
-19 will be referred to a health provider who shall determine whether to test them for COVID-19 or not.
If the student tests positive, he/she will be required to be isolated within the institution for 10 days before returning to class.
Students and Staff (Boarding and Day)
During the course of the term/semester, if a student or staff member feels unwell he/she will be isolated and referred to the nearest health service provider. At all times institutions are reminded to provide necessary psychosocial support to both students and members of staff.
All institutions are required to ensure that all students and staff adhere to all COVID-19 prevention protocols (physical distancing, mask wearing, sanitizing / hand washing, decontamination of frequently touched surfaces and vaccinations) and updated standard operating procedures. Students are required to provide their own masks.
Vaccinations
Pfizer vaccines are now available in health facilities for age groups 12-17 years. In keeping with the latest guidelines from Ministry of Health, parents are strongly encouraged to use this opportunity to have their children vaccinated. Students aged 18 years and above and members of staff are also encouraged to get vaccinated with the other available COVID-19 vaccines.
Members of staff and students are reminded that vaccines provide protection against developing severe disease, risk of hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19, and as such are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
Below are contacts numbers to be used for further information and clarification:
Ministry of Education hotline 01789327
Ministry of Health toll free number 929
Chikondano C. Mussa Dr. Charles Mwansambo
SECRETRAY FOR EDUCATION SECRETARY FOR HEALTH
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Latest Resources
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Resources
03 February 2022
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