"Malawi" by Anil Purohit and Ethel Wu

• Religion: Christianity 80%, Islam• Life Expectancy: Men 48 Women 48• 97 percent of electricity in country derivedfrom hydroelectric source with only 3 percentfrom fossil fuels

• fffThe “Church’s Chicken of Africa”

Economy• 85% of the population lives in rural areas• 40% of the population live below the povertyline estimated in 2006• One of the world’s least developed countries• 1/3 of GDP and 90% of export revenues comefrom agriculture.• Aid in the past from World Bank, IMF• US aid. Since 2005 about 575 million dollars

• Total GDP‐ 11.42 billion dollars• Per Capita GDP‐ $835As comparison:Total GDP:United States: 14.4 trillion dollarsZambia: 17.4 billionTanzania: 43.8 billionMozambique: 18.7 billionS. Africa: 493 billion

Agricultural Producers• Tobacco (70% of export revenues)• Sugarcane• Cotton• Tea• Corn

3 Cents? 30 cents? 3 dollars? 30 dollars? or 300 US dollars?

Border Crossing Between Zambia and Malawi

Government• Democratic, multi‐party government• Constitution drafted 1995• 3 branches of government: Executive,legislative and judicial.• Currently 9 political parties• 28 districts across Malawi and approximately250 traditional authorities and 110administrative wards

Political History• Colonial Government established 1891founded by David Livingstone. “Nyasaland”• 1944: Nyasaland African Congress formed• 1953: Central African Federation formedunder the auspices of the British• 1961: Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda forms theMalawi Congress Party• 1964 Nyasaland becomes independent andcountry renamed Malawi

• Dr. Banda elected president in 1963.• Single party state• President for life. Ruled for 30 years with anIron fist• 1993 multi‐party democracy presidentialcounsel formed and abolishment of “life‐longterm for Dr. Banda.• 1994 democratic elections held and BakiliMuluzi becomes president

Hastings Banda

• 2004: Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika electedpresident• Re‐elected 2009. allegations of election fraud

Health‐care infrastructure• Government facilities• Christian Health Association of Malawiinstitutions (CHAM)• Private‐for‐profit providers• Per capita expenditure on health is only $14and the financing is mostly privateapproximately 59% of the total expenditure• Recent government Budget cuts in attempt toboost economy

• Human Resource Crisis ‐ exacerbated by highstaff mortality rate caused by HIV/AIDS• 40% of the ministry of health positions arevacant throughout the country• 1 physician and 26 nurses per 100,000 people• “Brain Drain”• WHO surveys indicate that almost 50% offacilities are short of drugs

• SWAp: Health Sector Wide Approach• Malawi Global Fund• 2007 statement to the UN regardingMillennium Development Goals:• Reduce under‐five mortality• Reduce maternal mortality• Fight malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS

• HIV prevalence is very high• 2004 Demographic and Health Surveyindicates 12% of the population aged 15‐49years old are living with HIV/AIDS• 80,000 people die annually each year andabout an equal number are infected each year• Improvement in implementing ART programs• 37,000 people started on ART using 60 sitesacross the country in 2005

• Infant and under five mortality rates areimproving compared to 10 years ago howeverstill remain high due to infections,prematurity and complications duringdelivery• Malnutrition affects more than 50% ofchildren under 5.

• TB prevalence has doubled largely due to HIVinfection• Malaria most common reported cause ofmorbidity and mortality in both adults inchildren.• Schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis,onchocerciasis, leprosy, bacterial pneumonia

Health Statistics

Human Rights• Malawi Human Rights Commissionestablishedin 1995.• Labour issues, women’s rights, inadequateaccess to the judiciary, violations of children’srights, restrictions on property rights, policeabuse, rights of prisoners• Cultural practices like “initiation practice” and“chisamba” “kupawila”

Resources for Legal and Human Rights• Malawi Human Rights Commission‐Independent National Institution‐HR Commission Act• Malawi Law Society and Legal Aid Act, 2005

NGOs

World Bank & IMF Programs• Structural Adjustment Policies• Agriculture, Fertilizer, and privatization• Malawi Growth and Development Strategy2006‐2011• IMF Shock Loan

References• Malawi Human Rights Commissionwww.malawihumanrightscommission.org/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi• World Health Organizationhttp://www.who.int/en• BBC news: Malawihttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africacountry_profiles/1068913.stm