Malawi News

In this issue:

WHO Leprosy Goodwill Ambassador visits Malawi page cover page
Leprosy active search shows cases increasing in Malawi page 2—3
Preventing violence against children: a capacity building initiative in Malawi page 4—5
News in pictures page 6
Malawi Introduces pneumococcal conjugate vaccine page 7—8
The WCO Malawi implements the global learning program page 9
Staff movement in 2011 page 10
WHO Technical Assistance to Malawi from AFRO and HQ from July to December 2011 page 11.

Lilongwe, 13 July 2011 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination and Chairman of The Nippon Foundation in Japan, Mr Yohei Sasakawa arrived in Malawi on Thursday (13 July 2011) on a three day visit.

Mr Sasakawa is visiting Malawi at a time when the country is witnessing an increase in leprosy cases.

Lilongwe November 2011 -- A colorful event took place at Masintha ground in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Saturday 12 November 2011, to officially mark the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 13) as routine childhood vaccine in Malawi.

Lilongwe 24 March 2012 -- Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating World TB Day whose theme is ‘stop TB in my life time.’ The theme draws attention to the need for urgent accelerated actions to ensure that today’s children live to see a world where no one dies of TB. The national launch took place on 24 March at Chiwamba EPA ground, TA Chimutu in Lilongwe rural. Just before the function started, the Health Education Band mobilized the local community by playing TB control and prevention songs, traditional dances and comedy live on a decorated truck.

Lilongwe: On 29 June 2012, in commemoration of 2012 World Health Day, the vice President Honorable Khumbo Kachali who is also the Minister of Health, led all civil servants at Capital Hill, the helm of government ministries, to demonstrate and emphasize the need to ‘practice what you preach’ in prevention of non-communicable diseases.

On 31 July 2012 the World Health Organization handed over diagnostic equipment and drugs worth, 1.2 million Malawi kwacha to Kasungu District Hospital. This support is for the implementation of the WHO package for essential noncommunicable diseases (WHO PEN) for primary health care in low resource settings.

Inside
• 2012 World Health Day commemoration demonstrates healthy life styles to prevent NCDs among civil servants cover page and page 1

• Midyear message from Dr Felicitas Zawaira World Health Organization Resident Representative page 2

• 2012 World Health Day commemoration demonstrates healthy life styles to prevent NCDs among civil servants...continued on page 3

• Malawi calls for a world free of TB on World STOP TB Day 2012 page 4—5

• News in pictures page 6

On 29 October 2012, Malawi officially launched the Rotavirus vaccine children under one year of age. The launch took place in Ntchisi district, central Malawi and the guest of honor was the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi and Minister of Health, Right Honorable Khumbo Kachali. Malawi is the fourth GAVI-eligible country in Africa to roll out rotavirus vaccine in the national immunization schedule, following the footsteps of Sudan, Ghana and Rwanda.

Lilongwe, on 19 April 2013 -- In commemoration of 2013 World Health Day, the Minister of Health, Honorable Catherine Gotani Hara, MP was the guest of honor when Kasungu District Health Office (DHO) led all District Health Offices and the Ministry of Health to commemorate World Health Day with the theme: “High blood pressure” and the slogan “act now to prevent high blood pressure.” The main event took place at Kasungu community ground but some activities started at the district hospital.

Activities for Malawi will focus on raising community awareness on importance of immunization, and the knowledge of the general population of the New EPI schedule for Malawi. 

The African Vaccination Week will be celebrated by disseminating messages to the general public on the importance of immunizing children against childhood illnesses and the value of immunization. The messages will be disseminated through health talks by health works in under-five clinics throughout the country, the radio, newspapers and the television.