Tuberculosis Infections Up 20 Percent

Prevalence rates for tuberculosis in Rwanda have shot up instead of going down, figures from the Health Ministry to coincide with World TB Day indicate.

Between 2004 and 2008, the number of those carrying the TB virus rose from 6367 to 8014, the Health Minister Dr. Ntawukuriryayo Jean-Damascene said yesterday night in his TB Day commemoration message for March 24.

The rise means there was a 20% shoot up blamed, according to the Minister, on the HIV/AIDS virus that he said destroys the body immunity systems leaving victims with very minimal protection against viruses such as TB.

According to the World Health Organisation, as testing and detection rates for TB have reduced dramatically globally, Kenya and Rwanda have seen the highest HIV testing rates in Africa for the tuberculosis (TB) care programmes.

The Global Tuberculosis Control report for 2008 released March 17 said the two East African countries share the record with Malawi as the foremost African countries progressing well in the fight against an upsurge of TB.

Between 2001 to 2005, the average rate at which new TB cases were detected was increasing by 6% per year; but between 2005 and 2006 that rate of increase was cut in half, to 3%, the WHO said.

The reason for this slowing of progress, according to the report, is that some national programmes that were making rapid strides during the previous five years have been unable to continue at the same pace in 2006.

There were 9.2 million new cases of TB in 2006, including 700 000 cases among people living with HIV, and 500 000 cases of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB).

An estimated 1.5 million people died from TB in 2006. In addition, another 200 000 people with HIV died from HIV-associated TB.

The report highlights point to two aspects of the epidemic that could further slow progress on TB. The first is multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), reported by WHO last month to have reached the highest levels ever recorded.

The second threat to continued progress is the lethal combination of TB and HIV, which is fuelling the TB epidemic in many parts of the world, especially Africa, the report said.

Rwanda recorded the highest rate of 76 per cent, Malawi 64 per cent while Kenya had 60 per cent to show for domestic strides in the fight against TB.

Integrated care

Rwanda, Kenya and Malawi, among other countries, have established integrated HIV/TB services, offering HIV testing and counseling, TB diagnosis, and treatment for co-infected individuals.

Dr. Michel Gasana, Director of the Rwanda's TB Control Program, says the country's "one stop service" approach centered on patients is a key feature of the program, according a news posting on the World Bank website.

Rwanda has revamped the way services are organized and financed, the Bank says.

An opt-out policy (whereby TB patients are routinely tested unless they refuse) resulted in more than 76 percent of TB patients being tested for HIV in 2006.

Under a performance-based contracting approach for HIV/TB services in the Rwanda HIV/AIDS Project, bonus payments are made to teams of providers based on results attained. This scheme has stimulated such innovative strategies as TB case-finding by community workers and home visits to co-infected patients.

Providers are encouraged to take a holistic approach to care, including promotion of institutional deliveries for pregnant women, and family planning. Systematic supervision by district officials, which is also remunerated, provides an opportunity to give feedback to staff.

Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, Executive Secretary of the Rwanda HIV/AIDS commission, notes the tremendous potential of people living with HIV/AIDS to raise awareness and promote behavior change at the community level.

She also points out that the country has given a major impetus to integration across the three major diseases (TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria).

Attacking these diseases in a joint effort is part of the World Bank's plan.

"In countries across Africa that are struggling with the co-epidemic, one cannot mention HIV without mentioning TB and vice versa," said Joel Spicer, senior health specialist in the World Bank's Africa region. Spicer emphasizes the importance of scaling up TB/HIV collaborative activities.

Working as part of the Stop TB Partnership, the African region is intensifying and scaling up efforts in TB control through its portfolio of health and HIV/AIDS projects.

Chinese FM meets Malawian counterpart, vows to further ties

BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Monday met with his Malawian counterpart, Joyce Banda, and both vowed to further bilateral ties.

Yang said that the establishment of diplomatic relations in December began a new era and provided substantial room for cooperation.

Yang said that China attached great importance to developing sound and stable ties with Malawi and was willing to work with Malawi toward that goal.

Yang said that Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika's visit to China(scheduled to occur from March 24-30) would be significant in developing bilateral ties and cooperation, adding that China hoped to cooperate closely with Malawi to ensure that the visit was a success.

Banda said that the establishment of diplomatic ties with China was a far-sighted, historic decision for Malawi and the country was committed to furthering bilateral ties.

Banda stressed that Malawi would honor the communique released by the two countries when they established diplomatic ties, adhere to the one-China policy and stand beside China on all major issues.

Yang expressed his appreciation for Banda's statement.

The two officials exchanged views on issues of common concern, including China-Africa cooperation, and agreed to strengthen cooperation between their ministries.

Malawi to compensate William Banda

MALAWI has agreed to compensate President Mwanawasa’s special advisor on party affairs William Banda for the torture he suffered in police custody when he was deported to that country 14 years ago.

Mr Banda confirmed this in Lusaka yesterday but did not know how much money he would receive until a final determination was done.

Mr Banda, a former Lundazi Governor in the UNIP administration said he recently received correspondence from Malawi about the decision by the Government to compensate him after the courts ruled in his favour on the torture he suffered under former president Bakili Muluzi’s administration.

“I can confirm that the Malawian government has decided to compensate me. I was badly tortured.

This happened when former president Frederick Chiluba was going to Malawi. I was picked up by police at Lilongwe police station who tied me to a table and beat me badly,” Mr Banda said.

Mr Banda said officials from the Centre of Human Rights and Rehabilitation in Malawi and Amnesty International intervened to assist him.

He has asked the Zambian High Commission in Malawi to help him get the money. He would be awarded an additional K81 million if the Malawian government fails to establish the village they claimed he came from.

“We sued the government and when we went to court we challenged them to take us to the village where they said we came from and the judgment was made that we should be brought back to Zambia,” he said.

“The Malawian government gave us transport to take us to the border but the officials from the Zambian mission in Malawi went to protest and yet the Malawian government admitted that we were not received by them but by the officials from the embassy,” Mr Banda said.

Mr Banda was deported to Malawi in October 1994 after the Supreme Court upheld his deportation.

The court ruled that Mr Banda was not a Zambian and has “exhibited himself to be a big liar” to the court about his family tree.

The court ruled that Mr Banda was a Malawian named Saidi Awari who came from Nkono, Chief Maleza in Nkota-Kota.

When President Mwanawasa assumed office, he directed that Mr Banda be brought back to Zambia after the Malawian government established that he was Zambian.

Mr Banda was the second prominent UNIP member to be deported to Malawi after John Chinula, a member of central committee in charge of labour and social security was deported earlier the same year.

Children see Christ's life in their own language

Children in Malawi have a new way to learn about Christ. The JESUS Film children's version is now available in Chichewa.

Acted out by African kids, they hope that it will be used for evangelism in schools and children's ministries in various churches and organizations.

JESUS Film would like people to partner with LIFE Ministry Malawi, known as Campus Crusade for Christ in the United States. "Use this tool as a way of transforming the lives of our children in this nation," said Tinge Msusa with JESUS Film. "Our motivation of translating the children's version of the JESUS Film is in obedience with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20."

They made the decision to translate the children's film in 2007, and has now been released. At the launch, MK70,000 was raised, which is equal to about $500, from a DVD auction. Pastors, directors of other ministries, General Secretaries of Christian organizations, government officials and other Christians attended.

Life Ministry Malawi is working in 191 different countries, striving to fulfill the Great Commission.