Mzimba, Malawi … As if the famine were not enough to put Malawi near the endangered list, a recent headline in The Daily Times adds fuel to the proverbial fire. “19 Babies Die in Mzimba per month” according to District Commissioner for Zomba Thomas Chirwa. Samuel Kalimira, reporter for the Times goes on to report Chirwa agrees with the Mamaye Report that concludes insufficient funding for healthcare in the Mzimba District is directly related to the deaths of 19 of the 44 babies born in the District each month before they reach 28 days. In addition to the babies dying two mothers also die from complications during childbirth. The report also noted the District could not refer patients to the Mzuzu Central Hospital because all of the ambulances were sidelined from lack of fuel.
In another report the Times noted the nation has only 12,000 nurses for the entire population of 18 million people.
These stories appeared on Tuesday 21 June 2016.