By Vincent Gunde
A Catholic health care organization providing community health based mental health and disability inclusion services- St. John of God Hospitaller services Malawi will implement Health integrating mental health into Primary Health Care system within Lilongwe Archdiocese health facilities in the central region of Malawi.
The project which will run for three years will be implemented in Dowa ( Mtengowanthenga and Chezi), Mchinji (Ludzi and Guillime) and Lilongwe ( Namitete, Nambuma and Mlale) targeting 15,306 individuals with mental health challenges.
The organization will implement the project alongside with its key partners Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Lilongwe Archdiocese Health Commission and partner mission health facilities and other like- minded CSO and CBO targeting 76,500 as indirect beneficiaries including families of people with mental health challenges and others who benefit from positive change of persons with mental health challenges.
Presenting the project to the District executive committee ( Dec) in Dowa, the organization’s Program Manager Dr. Mwawi Ng’oma, said mental health problems are very common- World Health Organization ( WHO) estimates one in every four people have mental health problems.
Ng’oma said 19 percent women suffer from depression in pregnancy and 14 percent following child birth saying only few people with mental health problems access care.
She said the project has the objective of improving quality of life for 15,306 persons with mental health challenges in seven mission health facilities within the Lilongwe Archdiocese catchment area in central region of Malawi.
The Manager said the project will integrate mental health into Primary Health Care ( PHC) system to improve mental health outcomes and promote mental wellness, recovery, community integration and poverty reduction by enhancing access to mental health services.
” The project will empower individuals experiencing mental health difficulties and their cares, increasing mental health awareness, and expanding peer- support networks,” said Ng’oma.
In her remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Planning and Development Mercy Mpakule, welcomed the project into the district with an appeal to the organization to expand its services to all parts of the district and not only Mtengowanthenga and Chezi health facilities.
Mpakule encouraged the project to work with District Health officials to achieve its intended outcomes in addressing community health based mental health services in the district.
The project will be implemented in Lilongwe Archdiocese districts of Dowa, Mchinji and Lilongwe with funding from Bishop conference of Italy amounting to 325,350 euros and Dowa alone, will get 93,024.28 euros.
[27/02, 15:35] Vincent Gunde: Mutharika to grace BEAM Strategy launch in Lilongwe
By Vincent Gunde
President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika will this evening grace Beautify Malawi ( BEAM ) Strategy 2025- 2030 at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Vice President Justice Dr. Jane Mayemu Ansah SC ( RTD) is being expected to attend the launch to demonstrate high level government support for the initiative which was founded in 2014 to promote cleanliness, environmental hygiene, and sanitation across the country.
The launch is being expected to see Justice Dr. Jane Mayemu Ansah SC (RTD) proving to all Malawians that her relationship with the Mutharika family is intact.
A lot has been said on Justice Dr. Jane Ansah following President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s stripping off all of her positions in government only remaining with Vice President position.
A concerned citizen of Malawi Mrs. Elizabeth Kaliza Banda of Area 51 in Lilongwe, said the attendance of Dr. Jane Ansah at the BEAM Strategy launch, will put to rest noises which some other people were propelling that the First Lady Madam Getrude Mutharika is now at the helm of DoDMA.
Madam Mutharika was seen at Mtandire- Mtsiriza locations performing the role of the Vice President when she distributed assorted items to the needy people.
Comrade Ntanyiwa of Limpopo FM online radio station has from time and again been encouraging Justice Dr. Jane Ansah SC not to lose heart that those fighting against her in the DPP will lose the battle.
He has been assuring her that it pleased President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to appoint her as the country’s Vice President and the same has pleased Malawians not to let her go away as as their Vice President as it happened with the previous Vice Presidents.
The activist said there are senior members in the DPP who are telling President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika lies so that there should be seeds of bad friendship between the two saying this will not happen with Justice Dr. Jane Ansah.
Comrade Ntanyiwa appealed to President Professor Mutharika not to listen to lies being made by some other people close to him about Justice Dr. Jane Ansah.
” Time will come for me to disclose names of individuals planting seeds of destruction between Mutharika and Justice Dr. Jane Ansah SC ( RTD),” he said.
The activist assured those fighting against Justice Dr. Jane Ansah SC that they are fighting against millions of voters that voted for Professor Mutharika to win the 16th September, 2025 elections with a landslide victory.
