The Malawi Project, Inc.

    On the morning of 5th February 2008, I got to my clinic only to find a Mr. and Mrs. Milanzi, waiting for me next to the entrance to the clinic. The woman looked dehydrated and in great pain. As I helped the poor woman into the clinic, I felt the heat emanating from her   body and the pathetic look of her face. I could tell without getting into all the routines that this was another malaria case. The disease has killed more people than those who have succumbed to HIV.

Temperature Reaches 104

 Mrs. Milanzi had lost a lot of fluids through vomiting. She had been vomiting since midnight, the husband told me. I placed a thermometer, which registered a temperature of 104 degrees F.

 I admitted the patient to our observation room. We opened an intravenous line and started administering fluids while waiting for a laboratory confirmation of malaria. The results indicated she should be classified as a P. Falciparum 3+, the most serious form of malaria.  We continued with intravenous quinine administration.

    The patient required more observation time than we could afford. We wish she had remained within our premises for an additional observation time.  Unfortunately our facilities are limited and could only keep her until knock off time.

    At  1700, we had to send Mrs. Milanzi home, though not fully recovered.  However, we had done the best we could in getting her out of the danger zone and kept our fingers crossed that her condition should not suddenly change for the worse.

    Malaria can be worse especially when all the necessary undertakings have not been adequately done. The vomiting and episodes of diarrhea often leave a patient very dehydrated. Temperature spikes leading to convulsions sometimes complicate the situation.

    A medical attendant is usually caught up in a dilemma of whether to send a patient home or observe him or her until one has fully recovered and walk home without any support. That is an ideal set up. Nevertheless, we are working towards there and one day we will be comfortable to keep patients, like Mrs. Milanzi, at our premises until they are fully recovered.

    Above everything, we need to point out that we had the confidence of handling this case because of the availability of some medical consumables we benefited from Malawi Project. 

    There are many people who share the same joy today because of a helping hand from the Malawi Project. We wish the Lord’s blessings over the Malawi Project Team.

The United Nations Children’s Fund warns that over 1 million Malawians will be threatened by food shortages during the next three months as weather forecasts predict the increased possibility of flooding for this the southern African nation. This report comes in spite of reports of bumper crops in some parts of the nation in 2007.

Nyasa Times Reports Realignment of Diplomatic Relations
According to a report in the Nyasa Times the southern African nation of Malawi plans to open an embassy in Beijing for its new diplomatic ally, China after replaced a long time relationship with Taiwan. Malawi is also expected to open diplomatic missions in Iran and Cuba later this year.

Malawi Makes Deal for Fuel Storage Facility
According to recent reports from Malawi the nation has concluded a plan with the mid-east country of Qatar to build a fuel storage facility and put in place pipelines in the country. Malawi’s Finance Minister Mr. Goodall Gondwe reports that the agreement is valued at $140 to $ 150 million in American dollars. $140m to $150m. Building the fuel storage will take 36 months to complete.

Fuel Prices Expected To Rise
Fuel prices are expected to rise in Malawi and will compound recent shortages of paraffin that is needed for many of the cooking fires and home lamps in the trading centers and village areas.

Nursing Shortage Continues to Hamper Healthcare
As with many other Third World countries the nation of Malawi continues to experience what are called, "calamitous nursing deficiencies".  The problems are reported to be deeply entrenched in poor working conditions and remuneration packages that are not acceptable to the nursing profession. A pipeline of new nurses that grows shorter and shorter because training facilities are inadequate for the growing need also compounds the problems.

500 Households Destitute After Floods Destroy Crops
It was reported last week that over 500 households in the area around Ntcheu have been left destitute after heavy rains swept away their crops. The downpour has destroyed 85 hectares of maize fields and some houses. No human casualties were reported. Ntcheu is a district in the Central Region of Malawi that borders with the country of Mozambique. The district has a population of 370,757. Flash flooding has been reported to have displaced about 2,000 people in the Lower Shire Valley district of Chikwawa in southern Malawi.

Flash Foods Strike Northern District
During the same time that floods were ravishing the Ntcheu District in central Malawi flash floods were also sweeping through whole villages in the northern border district of Karonga. According to reports the floods left thousands of people homeless. One report indicated over 20 villages had been completely destroyed by the floods. The rains had been almost non-stop for over a week. Karonga is a district in the far northern part of Malawi, and borders with the nation of Tanzania. It has a population of approximately 194,000 people.