Malawi'’s agricultural sector is critical to its economy, employing around 77% of the population and accounting for 23% of gross domestic product (GDP). The majority of workers in agriculture are smallholder farmers, many of whom cultivate less than one hectare of land. Despite its importance, the sector faces significant challenges, …
The "triple burden" of malnutrition is a public health challenge throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where high levels of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in rural areas occur alongside increased overnutrition and obesity in cities. Climate change is a major driver of food insecurity on the continent: In 2018, 237 million people in …
Malawi has the world's highest preterm birth rate, with almost 1 in 5 babies born prematurely , but the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) programme introduced by the health ministry as part of a quality-improvement initiative increased survival rates of respiratory illness for newborns finds a new study. With use …
For weather and climate information to be used at the grassroots level, it needs to be effectively interpreted and communicated so that it is both useful and usable to decision-makers, farmers and local-level planners. However, to date this information has not always met these requirements. With these issues in mind, …
Understanding genomic variation and population structure of Plasmodium falciparum across Africa is necessary to sustain progress toward malaria elimination. Genome clustering of 2263 P. falciparum isolates from 24 malaria-endemic settings in 15 African countries identified major western, central, and eastern ancestries, plus a highly divergent Ethiopian population. Ancestry aligned to …
In a rapidly urbanising world, Malawi remains one of the least urbanised countries in Africa. Approximately 16.7 percent of Malawi’s population live in urban areas. Nevertheless, the country is urbanising at a moderate rate of approximately 3.7–3.9 percent per year. If growth continues at this rate, by 2030, approximately 20 …
The Soil Loss Atlas of Malawi builds a comprehensive picture of soils in the country by examining different types of soil loss and their drivers across the 27 districts of Malawi. The publication captures information on soil types, land cover and land use types, topography, mean annual rainfall, soil loss …
A rapid needs assessment report on the country's response to Cyclone Idai has exposed challenges that elderly people face in accessing humanitarian assistance in times of disaster. Minister of Homeland Security's visit to disaster affected households in the area of T/A Kanduku in Mwanza. The report, released on Tuesday by …
A landslide washed away an entire village in the Rumphi district of northern Malawi, killing at least three people, leaving five missing and dozens wounded in hospital, police said Sunday. Rumphi police spokesman Tupeliwe Kabwilo told AFP that the incessant rains in the region had caused the disaster that devastated …
Malawi government says a vaccine against malaria could be a vital new tool in the fight against the debilitating illness as the Ministry of Health starts immunising children in the world's first large-scale pilot of RTS, S -- the candidate vaccine that is furthest along in development --from April 23 …
Climate change can seriously impede Africa’s quest to achieve all the 17 sustainable development goals that address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The issue came up during a side event at the on-going fifth Africa Regional Forum for Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in …
The death toll from a storm that crashed into southeast Africa last month has risen above 1,000, with more than 4,000 cases of cholera reported among survivors in Mozambique, the hardest-hit country. The United Nations has described Cyclone Idai as "one of the deadliest storms on record in the southern …
With well more than 1 million people affected by Cyclone Idai in southern Africa, relief funding is well below the target, a UN spokesman said Tuesday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said Malawi, with 90,000 households reached with relief assistance, was running nearly 26 million U.S. dollars below …
The European Union has announced today an additional €12 million in humanitarian support in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. This funding will assist people in need following cyclone Idai and the subsequent floods. Total EU humanitarian assistance in response to this natural disaster now amounts to over €15 million. “We continue …
Hundreds of thousands of people are in need of food, water and shelter after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. As of Monday, at least 847 people had been reported killed by the storm, the flooding it caused and heavy rains before it hit. Following is an outline of …
In a country that relies heavily on charcoal for energy, this case study provides evidence that medium-large scale briquette technology in Malawi could be a potential local enterprise but that policy incentives will be required to promote a transition from charcoal to briquettes.
In a country that relies heavily on charcoal for energy, this case study provides evidence that medium-large scale briquette technology in Malawi could be a potential local enterprise but that policy incentives will be required to promote a transition from charcoal to briquettes.
Mchinji — Mchinji District Health Office officials have diagnosed two cholera cases at Mikundi Health facility in the district, an incident that has put a dent on Mchinji's record of zero cholera cases for the past four years. Confirming the development on Friday, Mchinji District Health Promotions Officer, Owen Chataika …
Hundreds of thousands of people are in need of food, water and shelter after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. As of Tuesday, at least 843 people had been reported killed by the storm, the flooding it caused and heavy rains before it hit. Following is an outline of …
As the flood waters recede in cyclone-hit southern Africa, officials are starting to assess medium- and longer-term requirements, including food security, health needs and improving disaster preparedness. "For 2019, food security is going to be a serious, serious issue," World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley told a U.N. meeting …
Flooding linked to Cyclone Idai, which lashed southeast Africa last month, could reduce Malawi’s staple maize crop by around 20 percent this farming season, Agriculture Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha said on Tuesday. “The floods washed away 71,111 hectares, translating into about 639,999 metric tonnes of potential maize production in five agricultural …
