LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Ministry of health is set to embark on Malaria vaccine with the aim of ending the disease by 2030.
The vaccine roll out is expected to start in September this year.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda disclosed the campaign on Monday, April 25, 2022 during the commemoration of World Malaria Day.
Malawi for Malaria vaccine campaign: Chiponda
Chiponda said the campaign will target children ages five months to 22 months.
The minister added that the vaccines are expected to reduced malaria by 40 percent.
She said the ministry has managed to distribute 9million bed nets across the country in the fight against malaria.
Chiponda therefore called upon the media to help the ministry in the dissemination of the malaria vaccines message to reach out to all communities country wide.
On behalf of all the CSOs who fight for Malaria in the country, Executive Director for Malawi Equity Network George Jobe said there is need of more effort in awareness campaigns to achieve ending Malaria by 2030.
Jobe also urged different stakeholders to join hands in the fight against malaria.
The vaccines are expected to be administered to the following districts Karonga,Nkhatabay,Mangochi,Ntchisi, Chikwawa,Nsanje and Machinga
The campaign is funded by World Health Organization (WHO)
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera has reshuffled Tonse government leadership in Parliament that embattled former lands minister Kezzie Msukwa has been removed as its chief whip and replaced him with Khumbize Chiponda Kandodo.
Chiponda is being deputized by Jacob Hara.
Chakwera;s Tonse government has also removed Chrissy Kanyasho as deputy leader of the house replacing her with Mark Katsonga.
Kanyasho, a UTM member of Parliament was recently dropped in the cabinet by President Lazarus Chakwera as Deputy Minister of Health.
However, Msukwa is being accused of being involved in corruption acts.
Richard Chimwendo Banda has been maintained as leader of the house.
Ian Mwenye, spokesperson for Parliament confirmed the changes in Tonse leadership shake up.
Mwenye therefore disclosed that President Chakwera will open the Parliamentary meeting on Thursday, February 3, 2022.
Blantyre District Health Office has run out of COVID-19 vaccine.
A statement signed by the Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Dr Gift Kawalazira says the district ran out of vaccine on 17th June 2021.
Recently, the DHO’s office was sourcing vaccine from districts with low uptake like Chikwawa and Mwanza.
According to the Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda, the next consignment of the vaccine will be in first week of July because the main manufacturer and supplier India was affected by the third wave of Coronavirus.
Reports reaching Maravi Post also indicate that Mzuzu is also in the same situation as many centres administering the jab have run out of the vaccine.
The situation has left people engulfed with fear as to what will happen if they do not take the second jab of the Covid-19 Vaccine.
According to experts, second dose must be taken between four and 12 weeks after your first dose.
Having the second dose is essential to ensure the best effect of the vaccine, and in particular to maximise protection against new variants.
Nhlema (right) presents a computer to Kandodo-Chiponda as Deputy Minister of Health Chrissie Kanyaso looks on
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-NBS Bank plc has donated 20 computers worth MK14 million to the Ministry of Health to support its Covid-19 Response Call Centre.
Presenting the computers in Lilongwe on Monday, NBS Bank Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Alfred Nhlema said the bank, as a good corporate citizen, believes it is its responsibility to join hands in the initiatives against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is why we did not hesitate to respond when the Ministry called upon us to support the Covid-19 Response Call Centre. We do appreciate that the Call Centre set up by the Ministry of Health will assist with the dissemination of correct information and guide the public on how they can access medical assistance.
“At a time when the Nation is at war for the safety and livelihood of its people, having a source of authentic information is critical for winning this battle,” said Nhlema.
He said despite the turmoil that Covid-19 has placed on economies, the financial industry in Malawi remains steadfast and NBS Bank’s financial performance has remained equally unwavering.
“This is why the Bank cannot remain silent when it is called upon to assist. Through this same sound financial performance, we, as the caring Bank, are giving back to the people who have helped us get to where we are today. Our customers have trusted and supported us from a time when our financial performance was in red till date, when we are now declaring profits,” said Nhlema.
He further said NBS Bank will continue to serve the communities through various financial inclusion initiatives, as well as provide tailor-made financial solutions, such as Banki Pafupi agency banking platform which allows customers to transact in their localities, and also allows SME business owners to have an extra line of income.
Receiving the donation, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo-Chiponda, flanked by her deputy Chrissie Kalamula Kanyasho, hailed NBS Bank for the support saying the computers will go a long way in managing data during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The noble consideration and act of NBS Bank to donate twenty (20) desktop computers for our Call Centre makes data collection and analysis on Covid-19 pandemic in Malawi very possible and doable. This also greatly benefits the decision-making at all levels of care to be timely and efficient. In the same vein the Ministry of Health will be able to disseminate the correct information and guide the public on how they can access relevant health care and also prevent contracting the disease,” said Kandodo-Chiponda.
She said government is aware that for firms like NBS Bank to make donations of this kind is not easy especially during the Covid-19 pandemic as the pandemic has placed a lot of economic hardships on many companies with some closed and others struggling to survive.
“But your Bank has not remained silent when it was called upon to assist because it is indeed ‘a caring bank’. NBS Bank juggles around to give back to the people who help it to stay in business at the most desperate time of need. Government appreciates the Bank’s value for its customers who supported and uplifted the financial performance of NBS Bank when it was in the red not long ago and today regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic is declaring some profits,” said the Minister.
She also said the donation of the computers is timely as it will help in data management of the current vaccination campaign of Covid-19.
NBS Bank is part of the Nico Group and since the start of the pandemic, the Nico Group has made a contribution of almost K200 million towards the fight against Covid-19.
Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda orders reopening of schools after three-week recess due to Covid-19
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—After a five-week break due to Covid-19 resurgence, students across the country can now afford a smile as Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 has given a go ahead for the re-opening of schools next week Monday February 22.
Co – Chairperson for the Taskforce who is also Minister of health Khumbize Chiponda has disclosed this on Wednesday evening in Lilongwe during a COVID – daily update.
In her remarks, Minister of education Agnes Nyalonje said Government has since given her Ministry K5 billion for schools’ response against the pandemic.
The decision to reopen schools comes following a drop in the country’s COVID 19 positivity rate from about 30 to 16.2 percent.
On 18th January, President Lazarus Chakwera directed the Ministry of Education to close all schools for three weeks after noticing resurgence in Covid-19 cases.
The students were supposed to go back to their respective schools after the expiry of the three weeks but the government extended it to 22nd February, 2021.
After reporting no positive cases for almost two months, the country had seen a sudden resurgence in coronavirus cases since the middle of January this year.
The situation left President Chakwera with no choice but to introduce new preventive measures to contain a jump in confirmed cases and deaths from the pandemic.
The restrictions included school closures, a night-time curfew, and no gatherings over 50 people.
The measure came five days after Chakwera declared a state of national disaster in response to the spike in COVID-19 cases.
Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—The Ministry of Health (MoH) and National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) have awarded grants to 12 researchers in the country to find problems that healthcare workers and environmental workers face in their day to day operations.
Half of the grants have been awarded to the health system operations research while the other half has been awarded to the renewable energy and agriculture biotechnology.
Speaking during the awarding ceremony Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, said research in the ministry of health is a backbone of policies that are formulated by health experts.
“They have given grants to six researchers from our ministry; these are different doctors and their topics are well thought and they will really assist us because they are looking at the experience of health workers who are working on the Covid-19 pandemic. But they are also looking at how we can manage our data,” explained Chiponda.
Commenting on the development, deputy minister of Education Science and Technology, Madalitso Kambauwa Mbirima, said research plays a big role in making informed decisions.
“Research can inform issues in agriculture, can inform issues in health, can inform issues in even education itself. But research, like I said, is very very important in informing policy makers as well as politicians,” said Mbirima.
On his part, Chairperson of Scientific Awards Committee at the National Commission for Science and Technology, Chomola Mikeka, said research allows technocrats to produce reliable results.
“These researchers, we have confidence, that in a local time, they should be able to produce results and we may also have a forum to attest to what they have produced with the funding they have received,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries of the grants, Grace Mzumara, touted the importance of grants on her expertise within the health field.
Mzumara said: “We want to show how important it is to have reliable health information systems that help you know on time vital statistics and simple things like deaths and births. We need to create a system where it is very quick and very easy to know and get the data.” The grant which is worth K166 million has been awarded by an initiative consortium of funders.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The Independent Schools Association of Malawi (ISAMA) has described as unjustifiable the government’s decision to extend with a further 2 weeks the Covid-19 induced school break.
Initially, government had set February 8 as the date schools would re-open after a 3 week recess to assess the Covid-19 situation.
But on Thursday evening Khumbize Chiponda Kandodo Minister of Health said after assessing the situation government had decided to extend the break with a further 2 weeks.
Reacting to the development, Joseph Patel President for ISAMA said the 2 week extension is unjustifiable as almost 100 percent of learners who tested Positive for Covid-19 have fully recovered.
According to Patel, sending learners back home would only result in learners indulging in immoral behaviors like it was the case when schools first closed early last year.
On 18th January, President Lazarus Chakwera directed the Ministry of Education to close all schools for three weeks after noticing resurgence in Covid-19 cases.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda has announced that after an assessment that the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 conducted, they have agreed that all schools should remain closed for another two weeks and that all students who were still on campus must return home.
Chiponda and other members of the taskforce said this during a briefing to give an update on the Covid-19 situation.
She added that after two weeks another assessment will be done to confirm if it will be safe for schools to open.
“Given the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country, Government would like to inform the general public that school closure will be extended by another two weeks starting from 8th February, 2021.
“Consequently, all students in boarding secondary schools as well as residential students in colleges and universities should be released to go back home for these two weeks.
“Government further calls on all students, parents and guardians to continue observing all COVID-19 preventive measures even while at home,” the Health Minister said.
On 18th January, President Lazarus Chakwera directed the Ministry of Education to close all schools for three weeks after noticing resurgence in Covid-19 cases.
The students were supposed to go back to their respective schools on Monday next week but the new order means that schools will open on 22nd February, 2021 though not automatic.
After reporting no positive cases for almost two months, the country had seen a sudden resurgence in coronavirus cases since the middle of last month.
The situation left President Chakwera with no choice but to introduce new preventive measures to contain a jump in confirmed cases and deaths from the pandemic.
The restrictions included school closures, a night-time curfew, and no gatherings over 50 people.
The measure came five days after Chakwera declared a state of national disaster in response to the spike in COVID-19 cases.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Football clubs have to brace for tough times following a decision by the government to revert to earlier Covid-19 restrictions that include a ban of public gatherings for over 100 people.
The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has announced the sealing of the country’s borders and banned gatherings of over 100 people for the next two weeks to control the spread of Covid-19.
Announcing the measures in Lilongwe yesterday, Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda, who is also co-chair of the task force expressed shock over the fast rising cases of Covid-19, most of which are imported.
Commenting on the restrictions, Malawi National Sports Council acting Chief Executive Secretary Henry Mereka said the government’s decision means football will be played behind closed doors.
“This means spectators cannot be allowed to watch matches during the said period,” said Mereka.
The new measures have come at a time football lovers were waiting with bated breaths for a Blantyre derby – between Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers- which is slated for January 2, 2021.
Most clubs in the country’s top flight league survive on gate revenues and the new measures will affect their already shrinking pulse negatively.
Chiponda delivering her speech during the meeting pic Lisa Kadango (Mana)
By Tione Andsen
Salima, December 3, Mana: Global Fund has approved new grants to continue fighting against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the country amounting to US$524 million.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Chiponda disclosed this Thursdays at Sigelegele Beach Resort in Salima during a Media stakeholders updating meeting on implementation of Global Fund and Gavi Grants in the country in Salima.
She said the grants would run for three and half years from January 2021 to June 2024.
The Minister She said these grants would be jointly managed by the Ministry of Health and World Vision Malawi (WVM).
Chiponda hailed Global Fund for remaining a faithful partner to the country’s fight against the three diseases since 2003.
She said cumulatively the country has accessed and utilized financial support from Global Fund worth US$1.6 billion to date.
“My Ministry was selected as Principal Recipient and started managing Global Fund grants in 2016 under what we call “New Funding Model 1” (NFM1),” Chiponda pointed out.
She said during the New Funding Model 1, the country received grants worth US$314 millionimplemented from 2016 to 2017.
“In 2018, the country started implementing NFM2 worth US$ 465 million. This was towards the fight against HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria including building resilient sustainable systems for health (RSSH).These grants are coming to an end this month of December 2020,” the Minister disclosed.
She said Ministry wants to engage the Media to appreciate on how the resources have been utilized.
Chiponda commended the Media for being instrumental in bring awareness messages among communities that have positive impact to them.
Editors being briefed pic by Lisa Kadango (Mana)
Director of Information, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi stressed the importance of Ministry of Health to create synergies with the Ministry of Information in order to jointly fight malaria, tuberculosis and HIV in the country.
“Editors should be in a position to work with Ministry in order to deal with the challenges being encountered as a nation to contain the diseases,” he said.
Over 26 Editors drawn from public and private attended the meeting.
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