Maternal death reviews is a tool widely recommended to improve the quality of obstetric care and reduce maternal mortality. Our aim was to explore the challenges encountered in the process of facility-based maternal death review in Malawi, and to suggest sustainable and logically sound solutions to these challenges.
Methods: SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the process of maternal death review during a workshop in Malawi.
Results: Strengths: Availability of data from case notes, support from hospital management, and having maternal death review forms.
Weaknesses: fear of blame, lack of knowledge and skills to properly conduct death reviews, inadequate resources and missing documentation. Opportunities: technical assistance from expatriates, support from the Ministry of Health, national protocols and high maternal mortality which serves as motivation factor.
Threats: Cultural practices, potential lawsuit, demotivation due to the high maternal mortality and poor planning at the district level. Solutions: proper documentation, conducting maternal death review in a blame-free manner, good leadership, motivation of staff, using guidelines, proper stock inventory and community involvement.
Conclusions: Challenges encountered during facility-based maternal death review are provider-related, administrative, client related and community related.
Countries with similar socioeconomic profiles to Malawi will have similar 'pull-and-push' factors on the process of facility-based maternal death reviews, and therefore we will expect these countries to have similar potential solutions.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Malawi president seeks international backing for 'green belt'
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika said Thursday he will seek international investment for his ambitious "green belt" irrigation project to boost food production and combat hunger.
"I want the world to help in establishing the green belt through investment for Malawi to have food all the time," Mutharika told reporters before leaving for the UN General Assembly.
Mutharika last month announced that his impoverished nation was to begin irrigation farming using water from Lake Malawi and the country's rivers to boost food production.
The green belt would be established along Lake Malawi, which straddles a third of the country.
Mutharika gave no figures for the required investment, but in remarks broadcast on state radio, he said international firms had expressed interest in the project.
Despite the huge fresh-water supply from Lake Malawi, Africa's third-largest, agricultural experts say only two percent of land is irrigated and most farming is small scale and dependent on rain.
Sixty percent of Malawi's 13 million citizens live below the poverty line. The country met its food needs for the first time in seven years in 2006 with a harvest of 2.2 million tonnes of maize, the country's staple.
Famine threatened up to five million people in 2005 following drought, forcing the Mutharika administration to spend more than 100 million dollars (71.7 million euros) to import over 400,000 tonnes of food.
"I want the world to help in establishing the green belt through investment for Malawi to have food all the time," Mutharika told reporters before leaving for the UN General Assembly.
Mutharika last month announced that his impoverished nation was to begin irrigation farming using water from Lake Malawi and the country's rivers to boost food production.
The green belt would be established along Lake Malawi, which straddles a third of the country.
Mutharika gave no figures for the required investment, but in remarks broadcast on state radio, he said international firms had expressed interest in the project.
Despite the huge fresh-water supply from Lake Malawi, Africa's third-largest, agricultural experts say only two percent of land is irrigated and most farming is small scale and dependent on rain.
Sixty percent of Malawi's 13 million citizens live below the poverty line. The country met its food needs for the first time in seven years in 2006 with a harvest of 2.2 million tonnes of maize, the country's staple.
Famine threatened up to five million people in 2005 following drought, forcing the Mutharika administration to spend more than 100 million dollars (71.7 million euros) to import over 400,000 tonnes of food.
Malawi to engage partners to support greenbelt initiative
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika on Thursday said that he would engage developed countries to support his “greenbelt initiative” whose aim is to ensure food security in the country.
The initiative, to be implemented along the shores of Lake Malawi from the northern Karonga district to the southern Mangochi district of Malawi, intends to mass scale irrigation farming to grow food crops such as maize and rice.
Speaking during his departure at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York City, USA, the president the initiative, if well implemented, would make Malawi a reliable regional breadbasket.
“The initiative would assist in reduction of food prices since there will be a high supply of food at individual, community and national levels,” he told reporters soon after inspecting a guard of honour.
While in USA, President Mutharika said he would meet several dignitaries, including former US President Bill Clinton, to discuss the way forward on the projects he is funding in Malawi through the Clinton Hunter/Foundation.
Malawi joined the UN after attaining independence in 1964.
The initiative, to be implemented along the shores of Lake Malawi from the northern Karonga district to the southern Mangochi district of Malawi, intends to mass scale irrigation farming to grow food crops such as maize and rice.
Speaking during his departure at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York City, USA, the president the initiative, if well implemented, would make Malawi a reliable regional breadbasket.
“The initiative would assist in reduction of food prices since there will be a high supply of food at individual, community and national levels,” he told reporters soon after inspecting a guard of honour.
While in USA, President Mutharika said he would meet several dignitaries, including former US President Bill Clinton, to discuss the way forward on the projects he is funding in Malawi through the Clinton Hunter/Foundation.
Malawi joined the UN after attaining independence in 1964.
Malawi rastas celebrate New Year on Thursday
Malawi’s Rastafarians on Thursday joined their fellow Rastas the world over to celebrate their New Year which falls on September 11, APA has learnt here.
According to the local leader of Rastafarians faith here, Ras Shadreck Nampinga, the event is the manifestation of the original calendar which was given to them by their forefathers in faith whose origins are in Ethiopia.
In Malawi, he said, the commemoration will be held at Mulanje Mountain, the country\’s peak, where “sacrifice and prayers will be made to ask for God’s mercy upon us.”
The Rastafarian faith in Malawi claims to have over one million followers, most of whom are young men and women of less than 40 years old.
The religion sect was most popularised by Jamaicans, among whom the notables was one Robert Nesta Marley, of Bob Marley and The Wailers reggae group. The sect adopted the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Rastafari Selassie, as its Supreme Being on earth, and thus began using his middle name as the designation of its identity.
According to the local leader of Rastafarians faith here, Ras Shadreck Nampinga, the event is the manifestation of the original calendar which was given to them by their forefathers in faith whose origins are in Ethiopia.
In Malawi, he said, the commemoration will be held at Mulanje Mountain, the country\’s peak, where “sacrifice and prayers will be made to ask for God’s mercy upon us.”
The Rastafarian faith in Malawi claims to have over one million followers, most of whom are young men and women of less than 40 years old.
The religion sect was most popularised by Jamaicans, among whom the notables was one Robert Nesta Marley, of Bob Marley and The Wailers reggae group. The sect adopted the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Rastafari Selassie, as its Supreme Being on earth, and thus began using his middle name as the designation of its identity.
Malawi Wants to Boost Domestic Dairy Production
Malawi plans to increase investment in the dairy industry to boost the sector's competitiveness in the southern African region, a senior agricultural ministry official said on Wednesday.
Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary Andrew Daudi told Reuters that Malawi is currently the lowest producer of milk in the region and also consumes the least amount of dairy produce.
"Milk consumption in Malawi is estimated at five litres per capita (per annum) against the recommended 80 litres per capita," Daudi said.
"Malawi consumes 50 percent dairy products which are imported and this needs to change by ironing out pricing issues and improve the quality of the (local) products to compete favourably," he added.
Industry officials say dairy production in Malawi has been minimal over the years mainly because of prevailing low prices for domestic commodities.
Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary Andrew Daudi told Reuters that Malawi is currently the lowest producer of milk in the region and also consumes the least amount of dairy produce.
"Milk consumption in Malawi is estimated at five litres per capita (per annum) against the recommended 80 litres per capita," Daudi said.
"Malawi consumes 50 percent dairy products which are imported and this needs to change by ironing out pricing issues and improve the quality of the (local) products to compete favourably," he added.
Industry officials say dairy production in Malawi has been minimal over the years mainly because of prevailing low prices for domestic commodities.
HRG employees take action in Malawi
Two Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) employees, from Toronto (Canada) and Johannesburg (South Africa), are this week leaving the comfort and stability of their home and work environments to spend a week supporting international development charity ActionAid teams to build better lives for HIV/AIDS orphans in Malawi.
Jeremy Bonk, a Management Accountant with HRG North America, and Shirlene Nel, a Credit Controller with HRG South Africa, were selected from hundreds of applicants who offered their support to ActionAid, HRG's nominated corporate charity. Some 12,000 employees also joined together to help ActionAid on HRG Day, the company's annual charity and community support day, raising almost £100,000. All funds are being used to support three specific projects across three continents: the HIV/AIDS project in Malawi, an education programme for children in Brazil's City of God, and a community healthcare initiative in Cambodia.
David Radcliffe, CEO of HRG, said: "We are delighted to be working with ActionAid on such worthy projects. The three initiatives, spanning different continents, reflect our company culture which encourages our international employees to work closely together and enables us to give something back and help those less fortunate than ourselves."
Malawi has one of the highest global rates of HIV/Aids, with one in seven of the population living with the disease. Over 500,000 children in the country have already been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, leaving them vulnerable to child abuse, sexual exploitation and child labour. The HRG-supported ActionAid priority project in Malawi is focused on the construction and development of an Ufulu Centre employing trained nursery nurses to give these children a chance at leading better and healthier lives.
As part of its support for ActionAid, HRG agreed to sponsor six employees to undertake working site visits and report back on the progress of the projects. In addition to Jeremy and Shirlene, other employees from Australia, Italy and the UK will be visiting the projects in Brazil and Cambodia over the coming months.
Commenting on his forthcoming trip Jeremy said: "One of the primary reasons that I originally elected to work for HRG was that I learned that it was heavily involved in aiding and giving back to those who were less fortunate. I have travelled to many countries, where I have witnessed that a little bit of financial aid, combined with a passion for change within the nation, will not only change and improve lives, it will save lives. For this reason, I feel incredibly fortunate to work for a company that strives to make a difference internationally and I relish the opportunity to witness the progress that the Ufulu centre has made thanks to the hard work within Malawi."
Shirlene added: "I'm going on this trip not to gain anything but I hope the people around me will be able to gain from what I'm putting into it! I hope that I will be able to make a difference in someone's life and that I will learn from the people driving huge aid-providing organisations. I'm looking forward to participating in a dream coming true and making people more aware of what and how big the needs are in Africa. Every minute spent and every penny raised by HRG is changing the world."
Jeremy Bonk, a Management Accountant with HRG North America, and Shirlene Nel, a Credit Controller with HRG South Africa, were selected from hundreds of applicants who offered their support to ActionAid, HRG's nominated corporate charity. Some 12,000 employees also joined together to help ActionAid on HRG Day, the company's annual charity and community support day, raising almost £100,000. All funds are being used to support three specific projects across three continents: the HIV/AIDS project in Malawi, an education programme for children in Brazil's City of God, and a community healthcare initiative in Cambodia.
David Radcliffe, CEO of HRG, said: "We are delighted to be working with ActionAid on such worthy projects. The three initiatives, spanning different continents, reflect our company culture which encourages our international employees to work closely together and enables us to give something back and help those less fortunate than ourselves."
Malawi has one of the highest global rates of HIV/Aids, with one in seven of the population living with the disease. Over 500,000 children in the country have already been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, leaving them vulnerable to child abuse, sexual exploitation and child labour. The HRG-supported ActionAid priority project in Malawi is focused on the construction and development of an Ufulu Centre employing trained nursery nurses to give these children a chance at leading better and healthier lives.
As part of its support for ActionAid, HRG agreed to sponsor six employees to undertake working site visits and report back on the progress of the projects. In addition to Jeremy and Shirlene, other employees from Australia, Italy and the UK will be visiting the projects in Brazil and Cambodia over the coming months.
Commenting on his forthcoming trip Jeremy said: "One of the primary reasons that I originally elected to work for HRG was that I learned that it was heavily involved in aiding and giving back to those who were less fortunate. I have travelled to many countries, where I have witnessed that a little bit of financial aid, combined with a passion for change within the nation, will not only change and improve lives, it will save lives. For this reason, I feel incredibly fortunate to work for a company that strives to make a difference internationally and I relish the opportunity to witness the progress that the Ufulu centre has made thanks to the hard work within Malawi."
Shirlene added: "I'm going on this trip not to gain anything but I hope the people around me will be able to gain from what I'm putting into it! I hope that I will be able to make a difference in someone's life and that I will learn from the people driving huge aid-providing organisations. I'm looking forward to participating in a dream coming true and making people more aware of what and how big the needs are in Africa. Every minute spent and every penny raised by HRG is changing the world."
Malawi to sell 49 pct of airline to Comair
Malawi has agreed to sell 49 percent of the national airline to South Africa's Comair, Deputy Transport Minister Roy Commsy said on Wednesday.
Commsy said the southern African nation had decided to engage a strategic partner for the struggling Air Malawi as part of a drive to lessen the government's financial burden in key sectors, including transport and telecommunications.
"Comair wanted 80 percent but we have insisted that they get 49 percent and we believe that this is in the best interest of the nation," Commsy told Reuters.
Comair, a partner of British Airways, emerged as the front-runner to buy Air Malawi last year but the government stopped the sale after refusing to give the South African company 80 percent control.
The government, which decided to sell Air Malawi in 2000, has said that Comair's shares in the airline will gradually grow to 80 percent and that the government will guarantee loans for the new company, Comair Malawi Ltd, through the issuance of bonds.
Malawi's trade unions have criticized the government's privatization campaign, arguing that previous sales of state assets led to job losses and failed to make companies profitable.
Established in 1967, Air Malawi has two Boeing aircraft and one other plane. Its international routes include flights to East Africa and Johannesburg and several other cities.
Commsy said the southern African nation had decided to engage a strategic partner for the struggling Air Malawi as part of a drive to lessen the government's financial burden in key sectors, including transport and telecommunications.
"Comair wanted 80 percent but we have insisted that they get 49 percent and we believe that this is in the best interest of the nation," Commsy told Reuters.
Comair, a partner of British Airways, emerged as the front-runner to buy Air Malawi last year but the government stopped the sale after refusing to give the South African company 80 percent control.
The government, which decided to sell Air Malawi in 2000, has said that Comair's shares in the airline will gradually grow to 80 percent and that the government will guarantee loans for the new company, Comair Malawi Ltd, through the issuance of bonds.
Malawi's trade unions have criticized the government's privatization campaign, arguing that previous sales of state assets led to job losses and failed to make companies profitable.
Established in 1967, Air Malawi has two Boeing aircraft and one other plane. Its international routes include flights to East Africa and Johannesburg and several other cities.
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