January 18, 2021 Duncan Mlanjira – Nyasa Times 5 Comments
Ministry of Education has decided not to release all Lilongwe Girls Secondary School students, including the 51.4% that tested positive of Covid-19 from a public health perspective.
PS Education Chikondano Mussa: Students to remain on campus
Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa, said in statement that the students will be kept on campus in order to keep a close monitoring of each affected student and in the event of any developing severe symptoms, the medical professionals will take her to the nearest health facility at Bwaila Hospital or Kamuzu Central Hospital without delay.
She said being together, the students will give moral support to each other along with their teachers and other health professionals who are constantly on the campus.
Presidential Taskforce Committee: MUST EXPLAIN
This morning, following President Chakwera’s address yesterday in which he mentioned that since coming into office,
“my administration released 6.2 billion kwacha for use by the Covid-19 Taskforce in combating the pandemic,”
I filed a request with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) for the following information:
(i) Detailed expenditure report on K60 million used by the Coordination Cluster to facilitate planning meetings and monitoring and evaluation visits countrywide;
(ii) Detailed expenditure report on K535 million used by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs to facilitate screening, testing, feeding, sanitation, security, transportation, and lodging of 19,858 Malawians who have thus far come back home from South Africa;
WFP Malawi Country Brief, December 2020
Format
USD 12.1 million six-month (January - June 2021) net funding requirements
41,000 refugees assisted with food and cash distributions
Strategic Outcome 1
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Refugees: In December, WFP finalized plans for the next cycle of distributions for the 41,000 refugees in Dzaleka Refugee Camp to be held in January 2021. Distributions will be maintained at bi-monthly intervals to reduce exposure for beneficiaries, partners and staff to COVID-19.
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Lean Season Response: In December, cash distributions under the lean season rural response were rolled out in Machinga, Nsanje and Zomba districts. The districts will be supported for four months. As of 31 December, 40,096 households (180,000 beneficiaries) have received monthly cash support of MK 23,100 (USD 30) each for the month of December, representing a 71 percent completion.
January 14, 2021 Wongani Chiuta - Nyasa Times 29 Comments
It has emerged that, as hospitals run dry and health workers went hungry, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government used about 80 percent of the total resources raised for Covid-19 response to pay allowances.
Former ministers Jappie Mhango (L) and Mark Botomani were overheard talking about Co vid allowances
The revelation is contained in the report by Oxfam which was released on Wednesday. In the report, Oxfam has further cautioned the Tonse government against abuse of any funds to be channelled towards Covid-19 interventions following President Lazarus Chakwera’s declaration of a State of National Disaster on Tuesday.
Media Challenged to Raise Awareness on Looming Cyclone
Media have been challenged to raise awareness to the public on the looming cyclone and what was expected of them to save lives and property.
Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, James Chiusiwa made the challenge Wednesday in Lilongwe during the Press briefing on the State of Preparedness for the looming Tropical Cyclone Chalane.
He said the media has a very big role to play in reducing disaster risks and losses in the country.
Chiusiwa said tropical cyclone Chalane was coming at the time the Department of Disaster Affairs (DODMA) enhanced awareness of the public on flooding and lightning.