Malawi Finally Ratifies Tobacco Control Convention, But Many Farmers Are Loyal to the Crop

08/11/2023 Josephine Chinele

BLANTYRE, Malawi – Boyden Ndlovu of Mzimba district, one of Malawi’s tobacco growing districts located in the northern region says that his lifetime has been synonymous with tobacco farming. Tobacco has been a mainstay of Malawi’s economy, historically generating about 70% of export revenue and now accounting for over half – yet the country finally […] Continue reading ->

East Africa Shows Solid Support for African Medicines Agency Treaty

16/08/2023 Josephine Chinele

Three more countries, Kenya, Cape Verde and Democratic Republic of Congo, have ratified the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty recently – and Kenya’s ratification now means that most major East African countries are on board with the treaty. Twenty-six countries have now fully ratified the treaty, one of the steps required for the establishment of […] Continue reading ->

Facing New Polio Cases, Malawi Resorts to Drones to Deliver Vaccines

19/07/2023 Josephine Chinele

On a partly cloudy morning last week, staff and onlookers watched with excitement and curiosity as a drone carrying polio vaccine doses was launched from the Matawale Health Centre in Zomba in eastern Malawi. The drone was being sent to Chisi Island, one of the hard-to-reach parts of this district that is often left out of […] Continue reading ->

Following Kenya, Malawi Appears Ready to Ratify the African Medicines Agency Treaty

01/05/2023 Josephine Chinele

BLANTYRE, Malawi – Key Malawian key stakeholders have given the nod for the country to ratify the African Medicines Agency (AMA) treaty, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has confirmed. The AMA is being established as a specialised agency of the African Union (AU) dedicated to improving access to quality, safe and […] Continue reading ->

Cyclone Freddy Collapses Malawi’s Health System, Washing Away Medicines and Patient Records

22/03/2023 Josephine Chinele

Submerged houses, collapsed buildings, uprooted trees and floating household items are what remains of Mtemangawa Village in Nsanje district, located in southern Malawi, bordering Mozambique. This is where one of the longest-lasting storms in the southern hemisphere, Tropical Cyclone Freddy, entered Malawi on March 12, 2023. Home to about 300 000 people, Nsanje is Malawi’s […] Continue reading ->