LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government through Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) has warned and quashed a move by some private schools and Colleges to relocate to new premises without approval.
Government warning Maranatha
The development comes barely a week after Maranatha Academy Form Two and Form Four student from Blantyre to Balaka and Zalewa in Neno for classes following a government sanctioned extended holiday for Blantyre and Lilongwe schools owing to the cholera outbreak.
In a statement released on Monday, January 9, 2023 signed by Education Ministry Principal Secretary Chikondano Mussa and available to The Maravi Post says the relocation of schools without government approval contravenes section 38 of the Education Act 2013.
The Ministry has therefore asked Maranatha Academy to revert to its base or the school will be closed.
Education Ministry Spokesperson Mphatso Mkuonera hinted that the law will follow those that break it.
Some educationists have therefore advised affected school on Cholera to venture into online learning than contravening with the laws.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-After President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration has miserably failed to contain the Cholera outbreak in Malawi, Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives CDEDI has asked him to throw the towel and request for international support.
Just as of Sunday, 8th January 2023, this is how the situation looks like:704 deaths, 860 admitted to various treatment units and 21, 024 confirmed cases.
“We demand that President Chakwera should immediately declare cholera a national disaster and call for support from the international community. The call for local support is too little too late,” says CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa.
He says at this hour Chakwera needs to humble himself and disassociate from carelessness approach in handling cholera which currently equates to criminal negligence.
Namiwa recently expressed disappointment with disturbing revelations that in the wake of the unprecedented cholera outbreak, which is claiming scores of innocent lives every day, it is business-as-usual on the government side.
“Actually, not even the bare minimum is being achieved in providing resources to treat cholera patients and, also, stop the spread of the outbreak,” reads an extract from the findings that has been attached in the statement.
CDEDI has also expressed worry on how government is handling the matter following concerns that guardians of cholera patients in some parts of the country are being asked to pay money for their patients to be treated or to buy cholera kits elsewhere.
He indicated that in its findings CDEDI has, actually, discovered that, for this month, government has only bought 200 out of the required 1.2 million doses of IV fluids, especially Ringers Lactate used to treat cholera.
Namiwa still demands that government should organise an emergency tour of major health stakeholders, including the media to appreciate the situation on the ground.
“As far as we are concerned, government’s failure to provide resources to for fighting this outbreak is criminal negligence at its worst since the development has put in disarray the pillars of prevention and care in the fight against the outbreak,” Namiwa said.
Adding that nothing can be more worrying than the realisation that the death toll to cholera is increasing with each passing day, a sign that more lives are at risk.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-In a bid to contain Cholera outbreak, Lilongwe City Council (LCC) on Sunday, January 8, 2023 temporarily closed Tsoka flea market.
In an interview one of the vendors,Thom Bandawe told Maravipost on Sunday that all the business personnels where told not to use the market as health authorities were spraying Cholera prevention chemicals.
Touring the Market, The Maravi Post established that the market has litters all over without any bins around.
On Saturday, January 7, LLC also closed Kawale and Area 23 markets in control of cholera spread.
Recently Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo urged all city councils to have by laws that will help to curb cholera spread.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-In its quest to Social Corporate Responsibility (SCR) while responding to Cholera outbreak, Matours International Coach Services on Friday, January 6, 2023 donated medical supplies to Kawale Health Centre in the capital Lilongwe.
The donated medical supplies worthy MK1.5 million including quantity IV fluids, IV Cannula, Choline and among others items.
Speaking after handover the items to the health facility, Matours Coache SCR Associate, Bright Kampaundi said as business entity thought of helping health facility to contain Cholera outbreak.
Kampaundi expects the donated medical supplies to meet the health facility’s needs.
He therefore appealed to other firms to come in serving lives from Cholera outbreak.
Kawale Health Centre In-charge Andrew Mphongoro lauded the company for the timely donation saying will contain the outbreak.
Mphongoro disclosed that though Cholera cases are on rise in the catchment area with seven, no death has been reported.
He therefore called upon communities to come for Cholera vaccines while encouraging communities to practice proper sanitation and hygiene.
Kawale Health Centre covers over 324,000 people.
Since March, 2022 Cholera has since claimed over 595 lives in Malawi.
Nyalonje, Chiponda and Mia addressing the media on Cholera updates
By Dorica Mtenje
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi government on Tuesday, January 2, 2023 announced closure of secondary and primary schools for two weeks over cholera outbreak.
This comes barely hours after second term was opened across the country apart from Lilongwe and Blantyre cities.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Chiponde told face the press that ministry of Unity will be sensitizing the general public on cholera preventation measures.
She said government is doing everything to contain the outbreak and the public will be updated continuously on the progress.
The minister added that government will re-open the schools as soon possible for learners safety.
Minister of Education, Agness Nyalonje added the the move is inline with thCOVID-19 task force command on closing schools due to cholera.
Nyalonje said health issues are priorities in all sectors of life hence supporting the decision.
Echoing on the same, Minister of Water and sanitation, Abida Mia disclosed that all disconnected kiosks have been reconnected until the pandemic is over.
She therefore called upon stakeholders’ support as the ministry needs US$ 20,809.013 for the procurement of wash Cholera supplies.
As of January 2, 2023, 18,222 cases with 620 deaths have been reported since the onset of the outbreak in March last year.
The fatality rate is at 3.4%, which is higher than the recommended rate of less than 1%.
In the past 7 days, Malawi has reported 2,773 cases and 137 deaths.
Out of these, Blantyre and Lilongwe have contributed 47% of the new cases and 53% respectively.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Following ongoing rise in the number of cholera cases in the country, Lilongwe city council authorities have today temporarily closed Wakawaka market and Central Poultry 2000 Limited for failing to follow sanitation measures.
Mayor for Lilongwe city council Richard Banda has confirmed the development with local media saying the action is to prevent people’s lives at risk of contracting cholera disease.
The Mayor inspected himself the market and the company where he noted poor sanitation.
According to Banda, the closure will become effective Wednesday, January 3, 2023.
Banda said the facilities will be reopened once they comply with proper hygiene measures.
Lilongwe has so far, recorded 1,265 cholera cases and 106 deaths since the start of the outbreak in March.
Largely, Malawi has registered 18,222 cases and 620 deaths over the same period.
On Monday, January 2, alone, the country recorded 409 cases and 25 deaths.
In a similar development, government has suspended reopening of primary and secondary schools across the country for two weeks due to the cholera outbreak.
Cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water.
The disease causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.
If left untreated, cholera can be fatal within hours, even in previously healthy people.
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-One student from Marymount secondary school has been killed and over 50 others are being treated at Mzimba district hospital after sustaining various degrees of injuries.
This follows road accident after a bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident at Luviri in Mzimba in the afternoon.
The involving motor vehicle with registration number SA 10038 Scania Irizia Bus was driven by Dunken Ngwende.
Northern region police spokesperson Maurice Chapola confirmed the accident.
“On the date and time stated above the driver Mr Dunken Ngwende was driving from the direction of Jenda heading Mzuzu with 58 passengers on board all being students from Mary Mount Secondary School – Mzuzu.
“On arrival before Luviri bridge, the driver lost control of his motor vehicle due to too high speed and as a result it swerved to the right then left where it hit the road embarkment and overturned. Following the impact, one student passenger Miss Ruth Tembo was taken to Mzimba District Hospital where She was pronounced dead on arrival due to severe loss of blood”, reads part of Police report made available to The Maravi Post.
Adds police report, “Three passengers sustained serious injuries namely:- (1) Mr Joseph Andrea Phinifolo, 51 years, Vge. Kamphika, T/A Ndindi, District Salima sustained a fracture on the left hand, (2) Thandwe Mmanjamwada sustained severe head injury and Vanesa Salima, 12 years had her left arm amputated, while 18 passengers escaped with different minor injuries.
“Motor vehicle had its both front and rear Windscreens shattered, nesrside body work depressed and front bumper damaged”.
Mmbelwa district council director of health and social services Dr Angelo Mwaungulu also confirmed the death of one student saying the hospital received about 50 students with injuries while two were critically injured.
The bus was coming from Lilongwe to Mzuzu as second school term of 2022/2023 academic calendar for both Primary and Secondary schools opens on January 3, across the country apart Lilongwe and Blantyre over Cholera outbreak.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Parents and guidians whose children learn in Lilongwe and Blantyre public schools are angry with Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Cholera for abruptly suspending second term opening over cholera outbreak.
COVID-19 Secretariat Principal Communications Officer Grace Kapatuka says a statement and guidelines on the same will be issued.
The second term was expected to open on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 but Education ministry issued suspension statement on Monday, January 2 for public schools in Lilongwe and Blantyre.
This is happening when parents and guidians were sending their children to schools.
The Maravi Post spot check on Monday witnessed school children stranded upon arrival at Lilongwe bus deports.
One of Lilongwe Girls Students who stays Nyambadwe in Blantyre, expressed worrisome over the development while already in Lilongwe.
“I’m trying get hold of my mother on how I can get back home. The communication reached us when I was already at school,” worried form three student.
One of the concerned parents chipped in, “I thought we ended the drama of this leadership in 2022. A sensible leadership couldn’t make such decision at eleventh hour”.
Meanwhile, some educationists have expressed their concerns with a shift of school opening to a date to be announced for schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe owing to cholera outbreak.
“Looking ahead government needs to work out remedial plans to recover lost time, otherwise learners who are writing exams coming from Blantyre and Lilongwe will be disadvantaged,” writes Limbani Nsapato, education expert.
President of Private Schools Association of Malawi, Amon Mtafya, suggests that government should allow classes preparing for national examinations to open, saying this will help to decongest the schools.
The task force is yet to announce dates for school openings in both cities.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Second term for 2022/2023 Malawi’ academic year opens on Wednesday, January 3, 2023 amid fears of Cholera outbreak.
Ministry of Education on Friday told the nation that the academic calendar remains intact despite fears of Cholera outbreak that has hit hard Malawi communities.
The ministry hinted that any changes regarding to academic calendar will be communicated to the public.
This comes as Ministry of Health disclosed that Cholera has killed 557 with 16,984 cases as of December 30, 2022.
With case fatality rate at 3.28%, a total of 15,586 people have recovered and 841are currently in the treatments centres.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), has said that carelessness in handling cholera pandemic amounts to criminal negligence.
In a statement signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa and released on Thursday, expresses disappointment with disturbing revelations from its findings that in the wake of the unprecedented cholera outbreak, which is claiming scores of innocent lives every day, it is business-as-usual on the government side.
“Actually, not even the bare minimum is being achieved in providing resources to treat cholera patients and, also, stop the spread of the outbreak,” reads an extract from the findings that has been attached in the statement.
CDEDI has also expressed dissatisfaction on how government is handling the matter following concerns that guardians of cholera patients in some parts of the country are being asked to pay money for their patients to be treated or to buy cholera kits elsewhere.
For instance in its findings CDEDI has, actually, discovered that, for this month, government has only bought 200 out of the required 1.2 million doses of IV fluids, especially Ringers Lactate used to treat cholera.
“It is against this background that we hereby challenge government, especially the Ministry of Health to prove us wrong that it has neglected the cholera fight by organising an emergency tour of major health stakeholders, including the media to appreciate the situation on the ground. As far as we are concerned, government’s failure to provide resources to for fighting this outbreak is criminal negligence at its worst since the development has put in disarray the pillars of prevention and care in the fight against the outbreak,” suggests Namiwa.
Adding that nothing can be more worrying than the realisation that the death toll to cholera is increasing with each passing day, a sign that more lives are at risk.
Meanwhile, CDEDI maintains its call to President Lazarus Chakwera to immediately sack the Minister of Health, on one hand, and, also, call for an emergency high-level stakeholders meeting to scrutinise the cholera fight strategy, which is now clear that is offside to contain the outbreak.
“In fact, we are dismayed as to when the President thinks will be the right time to admit that the outbreak, which he declared in March, and this month described as a ‘public health emergency’, has overwhelmed his government, and appeal from support donors,” he said.
Namiwa is convinced that Malawi, as a country cannot afford to just sit back and watch this outbreak which the World Health Organisation has described as the worst in a decade.
“We need help, and that help cannot come without us sounding the alarm,”
Confirmed media reports indicate that Lack of sufficient resources and proper hygiene in several cholera camps threatens the fight against the further spread of the outbreak since the facilities continue to register high admission of patients.
For instance it has been confirmed that authorities at Nayuchi and Namanja Health Centers in Machinga are now asking guardians of Cholera patients to purchase their own medical supplies in pharmacies due to scarcity of the equipment in the district.
Spokesperson for the district’s health office, Clifton Ngozo has confirmed the development saying the two facilities have run out of Intravenous fluids that are also running dry at the main district’s hospital due to congestion of Cholera patients.
And several guardians approached by this publication have revealed the matter and in the process expressing worry on how the disease will be contained, when medical equipment are in short supply in addition to requesting poor people to purchase drugs for the life threatening disease.
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