By Franklin Mtambalika

The ministry of health has secured an approval by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Cholera to administer 250,000 cholera doses in the districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje with special focus on hotspot areas.

The ministry’s spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe has told Zodiak in an interview on Monday that preparations are at an advanced stage for the five-day campaign, which commences on 28th August 2023.

“We have at least 250,000 cholera vaccines, to administer in the two districts, in areas where cholera cases are still being reported,” said Chikumbe.

He said government has high hopes all doses will be absorbed in the targeted areas which were hard-hit by Cyclone Freddy.

He adds that now people have realized the importance of getting the vaccine in preventing the disease.

Chikumbe emphasized that the interventions will then later be spread to other districts.

A public health expert Sandra Mapemba has commended the government for prioritizing areas which were affected by Cyclone Freddy.

She says access to clean and portable water remains a challenge in those areas.

“This is a welcome development, considering the fact that these areas have experienced perennial flooding, and stagnation of water and access to portable water has become an issue. This has left a lot of communities more vulnerable to a wide range of diseases including cholera,” she said.

Although the cholera situation has been controlled in the country, the ministry of health says a lot of work needs to be done, especially in three districts of Mangochi, Zomba and Chikwawa, where sporadic cases of cholera are being reported.

The cholera vaccine is a complementary intervention, and the main strategies for cholera control remain ensuring good hygiene practices, using safe water, food hygiene, regular hand washing with soap and no open defecation.
 

By Franklin Mtambalika

The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR) students’ union -Natural Resources Campus, says it 0is overwhelmed with requests from students who are in dire need of financial bail-out to pay tuition fees and accommodation among other expenses.

The union’s president Vitumbiko Chirwa told Zodiak Thursday that over 100 students from the university are in need of about K30 Million, to carter for their school fees and accommodation, urging well-wishers to come to their aid.

Close to half of the students according to Chirwa were affected by Cyclone Freddy.

“Currently 49 students have approached us that they are victims of Cyclone Freddy and need financial assistance, and over 50 have also registered with us as needy students and that they require financial bail-out to pay for tuition fees,” said Chirwa.

Chirwa added that, the union has organized a big-walk and a clean-up campaign in Lilongwe today Saturday, August 19, 2023, and they will later be hosting a cultural event next weekend at the campus as part of the activities lined up to raise the funds.

Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) Executive Director Benedicto Kondowe says lack of tuition fees remains a big challenge among students in the public universities. He has urged authorities to find sustainable ways of dealing with the situation.

Kondowe said; “The initiative speaks volumes of the country’s failure to have sustainable access to financial support to carter for their education, to the extent that the students are taking up the responsibility to look for alternative sources of such support”.

“It is high time universities instituted special departments to handle scholarships, loans and grants to help address such challenges, as is the case with South Africa and European countries”.  

Recently University of Malawi (UNIMA) and LUANAR increased fees from K420,000 to K600,000 per year for generic students, a development which has sparked debate in the country.

By Henderson Charles Msusa

At least eleven people have been arrested for allegedly buying fuel using jerrrycans in Dowa District.

Dowa Police Spokesperson Alice Sitima says people were arrested Saturday August 13, 2023 during a special operation which the law enforcement officers conducted at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in the district.

"During the operation we also managed to confiscate about 70 liters of fuel and 30 empty jerrycans," she said.

Sitima says the suspect, who are of ages between 20 and 47, will appear in court soon.

Recently, Kamuzu Central Hospital complained of increased cases of fire accidents, a development it said is putting a stain on limited resources.

In under two weeks, five have died while three others are nursing injuries, this according to a statement by the hospital.

There are some events in the music calendar which will spark attention instantly and one such event is the long-awaited release of a new Burning Spear album.

After a three-year pandemic pause, one of the largest convention organizations in the world has once again chosen Lilongwe to host its global three-day event, the 2023 “Exercise Patience”! Convention.

SALIMA, MALAWI — The Deputy Director of the Forestry Department, Teddie Kamoto, commended the media for their efforts in combating deforestation and called on stakeholders to join forces in the fight, writes Tionge Hara.

The Malawi Law Society has tipped government to terminate the fertilizer procurement deal with Romanian company East bridge.

Former Justice Minister and Attorney General Peter Fatchi has died. Fatchi, who hailed from Nsanje district, was one of the founders of the United Democratic Front - UDF.

A report on Post-Disaster Needs Assessment on Cyclone Freddy impacts has revealed that most cultural heritage sites are on the blink of collapse requiring about 9.4 billion Kwacha for recoveries.