Malawi
GANG INFORMATION
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Malawi
Geography
Area: 118,484 sq. km. (45,747 sq. mi.); land the size of Pennsylvania,
with a lake the size of Vermont.
Cities: Capital--Lilongwe. Other cities--Blantyre (the commercial
capital), Zomba, Mzuzu.
Terrain: Plateaus, highlands, and valleys. Lake Malawi (formerly
referred to as Lake Nyasa) comprises about 20% of total area.
Climate: Predominately subtropical.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Malawian(s).
Population (2005 est.): 12.1 million.
Annual growth rate (2005 est.): 2.06%.
Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga,
Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European.
Religions: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous
beliefs 3%, other 2%.
Languages: English (official), Chichewa (official), regional dialects,
i.e., Chitumbuka, Chiyao, Chilomwe.
Education: Years compulsory--none. Attendance (1998 est.)--primary,
79%. Literacy (2003 est., age 15 and older)--63%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2005 est.)--103.32 deaths/1,000
live births. Life expectancy (at birth, 2005 est.)--41.43 yrs.
Government
Type: Multi-party democracy.
Independence: July 6, 1964.
Constitution: May 18, 1995.
Branches: Executive--president (the president is both chief of
state and head of government), first and second vice presidents,
cabinet. Legislative--unicameral National Assembly (193 members).
Although the Malawian constitution provides for a Senate, in practice
the legislative branch’s upper house does not exist. Judicial--High
Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, subordinate Magistrate Courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 28 districts.
Political parties: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, ruling party)
United Democratic Front (UDF), Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Alliance
for Democracy (AFORD), New Republican Party (NRP), National Democratic
Alliance (NDA), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), People’s
Transformation Party (PETRA), and Congress for National Unity
(CONU). MCP and UDF are the two main opposition parties in parliament.
Suffrage: Universal at 18 years of age.
Central government budget--2005/06 $991.6 million (MK 119 billion).
Economy
GDP (2005 est.): $1.87 billion.
Annual real GDP growth rate (2004): 4.6%; (2005 est.) 2.1%.
Per capita GNI (2005 est.): Approx. $150.90.
Avg. inflation rate (2004): 11.5%; (2005 est.) 14.5%.
Natural resources: Limestone, uranium (potential), coal, bauxite,
phosphates, graphite, granite, black granite, vermilite, aquamarine,
tourmaline, rubies, sapphires, rare earths.
Agriculture (approx. 38.6% of GDP): Products--tobacco, sugar,
cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, coffee,
rice, groundnuts. Arable land--34%, of which 86% is cultivated.
Industry (16% of GDP): Types--tea, tobacco, sugar, sawmill products,
cement, consumer goods.
Trade (2001 est.): Exports--$499.67 million: tobacco, tea, sugar,
coffee, peanuts, wood products. Partners--U.S., U.K., South Africa,
Germany, Japan. Imports--$673.45 million: food, petroleum products,
semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment. Partners--South
Africa, Zimbabwe, Japan, U.S., U.K., Germany.
Fiscal year: July 1-June 30.
GEOGRAPHY
Malawi is situated in southeastern Africa. The Great Rift Valley
traverses the country from north to south. In this deep trough
lies Lake Malawi, the third-largest lake in Africa, comprising
about 20% of Malawi's area. The Shire River flows from the south
end of the lake and joins the Zambezi River 400 kilometers (250
mi.) farther south in Mozambique. East and west of the Rift Valley,
the land forms high plateaus, generally between 900 and 1,200
meters (3,000-4,000 ft.) above sea level. In the north, the Nyika
Uplands rise as high as 2,600 meters (8,500 ft.); south of the
lake lie the Shire Highlands, with an elevation of 600-1,600 meters
(2,000-5,000 ft.), rising to Mts. Zomba and Mulanje, 2,130 and
3,048 meters (7,000 and 10,000 ft.). In the extreme south, the
elevation is only 60-90 meters (200-300 ft.) above sea level.
Malawi is one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most densely populated
countries. The population of Lilongwe--Malawi's capital since
1971--exceeds 400,000. All government ministries and the parliament
are located in Lilongwe. Blantyre remains Malawi's major commercial
center and largest city, having grown from an estimated 109,000
inhabitants in 1966 to nearly 500,000 in 1998. Malawi's President
resides in Lilongwe. The Supreme Court is seated in Blantyre.
Malawi's climate is generally subtropical. A rainy season runs
from November through April. There is little to no rainfall throughout
most of the country from May to October. It is hot and humid from
October to April along the lake and in the Lower Shire Valley.
Lilongwe is also hot and humid during these months, albeit far
less than in the south. The rest of the country is warm during
those months. From June through August, the lake areas and far
south are comfortably warm, but the rest of Malawi can be chilly
at night, with temperatures ranging from 5o-14oC (41o-57oF).
PEOPLE
Malawi derives its name from the Maravi, a Bantu people who came
from the southern Congo about 600 years ago. On reaching the area
north of Lake Malawi, the Maravi divided. One branch, the ancestors
of the present-day Chewas, moved south to the west bank of the
lake. The other, the ancestors of the Nyanjas, moved down the
east bank to the southern part of the country.
By AD 1500, the two divisions of the tribe had established a
kingdom stretching from north of the present-day city of Nkhotakota
to the Zambezi River in the south, and from Lake Malawi in the
east, to the Luangwa River in Zambia in the west.
Migrations and tribal conflicts precluded the formation of a
cohesive Malawian society until the turn of the 20th century.
In more recent years, ethnic and tribal distinctions have diminished.
Regional distinctions and rivalries, however, persist. Despite
some clear differences, no significant friction currently exists
between tribal groups, and the concept of a Malawian nationality
has begun to take hold. Predominately a rural people, Malawians
are generally conservative and traditionally nonviolent.
The Chewas constitute 90% of the population of the central region;
the Nyanja tribe predominates in the south and the Tumbuka in
the north. In addition, significant numbers of the Tongas live
in the north; Ngonis--an offshoot of the Zulus who came from South
Africa in the early 1800s--live in the lower northern and lower
central regions; and the Yao, who are mostly Muslim, live along
the southeastern border with Mozambique.
HISTORY
Hominid remains and stone implements have been identified in Malawi
dating back more than 1 million years, and early humans inhabited
the vicinity of Lake Malawi 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. Human
remains at a site dated about 8000 BC show physical characteristics
similar to peoples living today in the Horn of Africa. At another
site, dated 1500 BC, the remains possess features resembling Negro
and Bushman people.
Although the Portuguese reached the area in the 16th century,
the first significant Western contact was the arrival of David
Livingstone along the shore of Lake Malawi in 1859. Subsequently,
Scottish Presbyterian churches established missions in Malawi.
One of their objectives was to end the slave trade to the Persian
Gulf that continued to the end of the 19th century. In 1878, a
number of traders, mostly from Glasgow, formed the African Lakes
Company to supply goods and services to the missionaries. Other
missionaries, traders, hunters, and planters soon followed.
In 1883, a consul of the British Government was accredited to
the "Kings and Chiefs of Central Africa," and in 1891,
the British established the Nyasaland Protectorate (Nyasa is the
Yao word for "lake"). Although the British remained
in control during the first half of the 1900s, this period was
marked by a number of unsuccessful Malawian attempts to obtain
independence. A growing European and U.S.-educated African elite
became increasingly vocal and politically active--first through
associations, and after 1944, through the Nyasaland African Congress
(NAC).
During the 1950s, pressure for independence increased when Nyasaland
was joined with Northern and Southern Rhodesia in 1953 to form
the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In July 1958, Dr. Hastings
Kamuzu Banda returned to the country after a long absence in the
United States (where he had obtained his medical degree at Meharry
Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee in 1937), the United Kingdom
(where he practiced medicine), and Ghana. He assumed leadership
of the NAC, which later became the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
In 1959, Banda was sent to Gwelo Prison for his political activities
but was released in 1960 to participate in a constitutional conference
in London.
On April 15, 1961, the MCP won an overwhelming victory in elections
for a new Legislative Council. It also gained an important role
in the new Executive Council and ruled Nyasaland in all but name
a year later. In a second constitutional conference in London
in November 1962, the British Government agreed to give Nyasaland
self-governing status the following year.
Dr. Banda became Prime Minister on February 1, 1963, although
the British still controlled Malawi's financial, security, and
judicial systems. A new constitution took effect in May 1963,
providing for virtually complete internal self-government. The
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved on December
31, 1963, and Malawi became a fully independent member of the
Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth) on July 6, 1964.
Two years later, Malawi adopted a new constitution and became
a one-party state with Dr. Banda as its first President.
In 1970 Dr. Banda was declared President for life of the MCP,
and in 1971 Banda consolidated his power and was named President
for life of Malawi itself. The paramilitary wing of the Malawi
Congress Party, the Young Pioneers, helped keep Malawi under authoritarian
control until the 1990s. Increasing domestic unrest and pressure
from Malawian churches and from the international community led
to a referendum in which the Malawian people were asked to vote
for either a multi-party democracy or the continuation of a one-party
state. On June 14, 1993, the people of Malawi voted overwhelmingly
in favor of multi-party democracy. Free and fair national elections
were held on May 17, 1994.
Bakili Muluzi, leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF), was
elected President in those elections. The UDF won 82 of the 177
seats in the National Assembly and formed a coalition government
with the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD). That coalition disbanded
in June 1996, but some of its members remained in the government.
The President was referred to as Dr. Muluzi, having received an
honorary degree at Lincoln University in Missouri in 1995. Malawi's
newly written constitution (1995) eliminated special powers previously
reserved for the Malawi Congress Party. Accelerated economic liberalization
and structural reform accompanied the political transition.
On June 15, 1999, Malawi held its second democratic elections.
Dr. Bakili Muluzi was re-elected to serve a second 5-year term
as President, despite an MCP-AFORD alliance that ran a joint slate
against the UDF.
Malawi saw its first transition between democratically elected
presidents in May 2004, when the UDF’s presidential candidate
Bingu wa Mutharika defeated MCP candidate John Tembo and Gwanda
Chakuamba, who was backed by a grouping of opposition parties.
The UDF, however, did not win a majority of seats in parliament,
as it had done in 1994 and 1999 elections. Through the politicking
of party chairperson and former President Bakili Muluzi, the party
successfully secured a majority by forming a "government
of national unity" with several opposition parties. President
Bingu wa Mutharika left the UDF party on February 5, 2005, citing
differences with the UDF, particularly over his anti-corruption
campaign. He formed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) shortly
thereafter, attracting a number of UDF and independent members
of parliament (MPs) to his new party. The DPP, however, has also
failed to acquire enough support for a majority in parliament,
and the UDF has pushed forward with an attempt to impeach President
Mutharika.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
The Government of Malawi has been a multi-party democracy since
1994. Under the 1995 constitution, the president, who is both
chief of state and head of the government, is chosen through universal
direct suffrage every 5 years. Malawi has a vice president who
is elected with the president. The president has the option of
appointing a second vice president, who must be from a different
party. The members of the presidentially appointed cabinet can
be drawn from either within or outside of the legislature. Malawi's
National Assembly has 193 seats, all directly elected to serve
5-year terms. The constitution also provides for a second house,
a Senate of 80 seats, but to date no action has been taken to
create the Senate. The Senate is intended to provide representation
for traditional leaders and the different geographical districts,
as well as various special interest groups, such as women, youth,
and the disabled.
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary. Malawi's
judicial system, based on the English model, is made up of magisterial
lower courts, a High Court, and a Supreme Court of Appeal. Local
government is carried out in 28 districts within three regions
administered by regional administrators and district commissioners
who are appointed by the central government. Local elections,
the first in the multi-party era, took place in on November 21,
2000. The UDF party won 70% of the seats in this election.
The third multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections,
originally planned for May 18, 2004 were postponed by two days
following a High Court appeal by the main opposition Mgwirizano
(Unity) coalition. The run-up to the poll was overshadowed by
opposition claims of irregularities in the voters' roll. European
Union and Commonwealth observers said although voting passed peacefully,
they were concerned about "serious inadequacies" in
the poll.
Principal Government Officials
President--Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika
First Vice President--Dr. Cassim Chilumpha
Second Vice President--vacant
Ministers
Minister of State for Statutory Corporations--Elizabeth Aipira
Minister of State in the Office of the President--Richard Msowoya
Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation--Joyce
Banda
Ministry for Industry, Trade and Private Sector Development--Dr.
Ken Lipenga
Minister for Education and Vocational Training--Anna Kachikho
Minister for Defence--Davies Katsonga
Minister for Lands, Housing and Surveys--Henry Phoya
Minister for Home Affairs and Internal Security--Bob Khamisa
Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs--Bazuka Mhango
Minister for Labour and Social Development--Khumbo Chirwa
Minister for Health--Marjorie Ngaunje
Minister for Women and Child Development--Kate Kainja-Kaluluma
Minister for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly--Clement
Khembo
Ambassador to the United States--Ambassador Bernard Sande
Permanent Representative to the United Nations--Prof. Brown Chimphamba
Malawi maintains an embassy in the United States at 1156 15th
Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005 (tel. 202-721-0270;
fax 202-721-0288). Malawi's Permanent Mission to the United Nations
is located at: 600 Third Avenue, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10016
(tel. 212-949-0180; Fax: 212-599-5021. Malawi also maintains an
Honorary Consulate in the Los Angeles area. Dr. J.F. Clements,
Malawi Honorary Consul, Malawi Consulate may be reached at 44970
Via Renaissance, Temecula, California 92590 (office number, 951-676-2476;
fax number, 951-676-1568; and e-mail, malawiconsul@yahoo.com).
ECONOMY
Malawi is a landlocked, densely populated country. Its economy
is heavily dependent on agriculture. Malawi has few exploitable
mineral resources. Its two most important export crops are tobacco
and tea. Traditionally Malawi has been self-sufficient in its
staple food, maize, and during the 1980s exported substantial
quantities to its drought-stricken neighbors. Agriculture represents
38.6% of the GDP, accounts for over 80% of the labor force, and
represents about 80% of all exports. Nearly 90% of the population
engages in subsistence farming. Smallholder farmers produce a
variety of crops, including maize (corn), beans, rice, cassava,
tobacco, and groundnuts (peanuts).The agricultural sector contributes
about 63.7% of total income for the rural population, 65% of manufacturing
sector’s raw materials, and approximately 87% of total employment.
Financial wealth is generally concentrated in the hands of a small
elite. Malawi's manufacturing industries are situated around the
city of Blantyre.
Malawi's economic reliance on the export of agricultural commodities
renders it particularly vulnerable to external shocks such as
declining terms of trade and drought. High transport costs, which
can comprise over 30% of its total import bill, constitute a serious
impediment to economic development and trade. Malawi must import
all its fuel products. Paucity of skilled labor; difficulty in
obtaining expatriate employment permits; bureaucratic red tape;
corruption; and inadequate and deteriorating road, electricity,
water, and telecommunications infrastructure further hinder economic
development in Malawi. However, recent government initiatives
targeting improvements in the road infrastructure, together with
private sector participation in railroad and telecommunications,
have begun to render the investment environment more attractive.
Malawi has undertaken economic structural adjustment programs
supported by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
and other donors since 1981. Broad reform objectives include stimulation
of private sector activity and participation through the elimination
of price controls and industrial licensing, liberalization of
trade and foreign exchange, rationalization of taxes, privatization
of state-owned enterprises, and civil service reform. Malawi qualified
for Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt relief.
In May 2004, the IMF program begun in 2000 was canceled and a
Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) was implemented. In the wake of
questions about fiscal creditability, the SMP’s goal was
to give Malawi’s newly-elected government the chance to
establish a track record of fiscal discipline. A new Poverty Reduction
and Growth Facility (PRGF) was approved on August 5, 2005 after
a successful SMP.
Real GDP increased by an estimated 4.6% in 2004, from 3.9% in
2003 and 2.1% in 2002. Inflation has been largely under control
since 2003, averaging 10% in that year and 11.1% (est.) in 2004.
Discount and commercial lending rates also declined from 40%-45%
in 2003 to 25% in early 2004. The Kwacha slid from 90 to 101 against
the U.S. dollar in mid-2003 and was at 108 to the U.S. dollar
at the end of 2004. As of November 2005, the Kwacha had depreciated
further, to 120 to the U.S. dollar.
Malawi has bilateral trade agreements with its two major trading
partners, South Africa and Zimbabwe, both of which allow duty-free
entry of Malawian products into their countries.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Malawi has continued the pro-Western foreign policy established
by former President Banda. It maintains excellent diplomatic relations
with principal Western countries. Malawi's close relations with
South Africa throughout the apartheid era strained its relations
with other African nations. Following the collapse of apartheid
in 1994, Malawi developed, and currently maintains, strong diplomatic
relations with all African countries.
Between 1985 and 1995, Malawi accommodated more than a million
refugees from Mozambique. The refugee crisis placed a substantial
strain on Malawi's economy but also drew significant inflows of
international assistance. The accommodation and eventual repatriation
of the Mozambicans is considered a major success by international
organizations. In 1996, Malawi received a number of Rwandan and
Congolese refugees seeking asylum. The government did not turn
away refugees, but it did invoke the principle of "first
country of asylum." Under this principle, refugees who requested
asylum in another country first, or who had the opportunity to
do so, would not subsequently be granted asylum in Malawi. There
were no reports of the forcible repatriation of refugees.
Important bilateral donors, in addition to the U.S., include
Canada, Libya, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Multilateral donors include
the World Bank, the IMF, the European Union, the African Development
Bank, and the United Nations organizations.
Malawi is a member of the following international organizations:
UN and some of its specialized and related agencies (i.e. UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO), IMF, World Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Agency (MIGA), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
Berne Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, African Union,
Lome Convention, African Development Bank (AFDB), Southern African
Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for East and Southern
Africa (COMESA), Nonaligned Movement, G-77, and the World Health
Organization (WHO).
U.S.-MALAWIAN RELATIONS
The transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy
significantly strengthened the already cordial U.S. relationship
with Malawi. Significant numbers of Malawians study in the United
States. The United States has an active Peace Corps program, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human
Services, and an Agency for International Development (USAID)
mission in Malawi.
U.S. and Malawian views on the necessity of economic and political
stability in southern Africa generally coincide. Through a pragmatic
assessment of its own national interests and foreign policy objectives,
Malawi advocates peaceful solutions to the region's problems through
negotiation. Malawi works to achieve these objectives in the United
Nations, COMESA, and SADC. Malawi is the first southern African
country to receive peacekeeping training under the U.S.-sponsored
African Crisis Response Force Initiative (ACRI) and has joined
the successor program, African Contingency Operations Training
Assistance (ACOTA). It has an active slate of peacetime engagement
military-to-military programs. The two countries maintain a continuing
dialogue through diplomatic representatives and periodic visits
by senior officials.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The United States has a substantial foreign assistance program
in Malawi. The U.S. Government (USG) provides about $35 million
annually in development assistance under USAID's Country Strategic
Plan (CSP) for the period 2001-2007. The primary goal of USAID
assistance is poverty reduction and increased food security through
broad-based, market-led economic growth, focusing on four areas:
sustainable increases in rural incomes, increased civic involvement
in the rule of law, improved health behavior and services, and
improved quality and efficiency of basic education. The USAID
program is implemented in partnership with the Government of Malawi,
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), other USG agencies, U.S.
private voluntary organizations, contractors, and other partners.
USAID’s program to increase rural incomes includes training
and technical assistance to increase smallholder (crop, dairy,
forest, and fishery) productivity; foster additional trade linkages
among small farmer producer associations, larger commodity-specific
industry clusters, and export markets (e.g. cassava, chilies,
ground nuts, cotton, coffee, etc.); improve access to demand-driven
financial services for micro, small and medium-size enterprises
(MSMEs); increase rural households’ revenues from sustainable
natural resource management; and improve food security for vulnerable
families in Malawi’s rural areas. USAID is also encouraging
smallholders to diversify into dairy production, a very lucrative
business in Malawi and well-suited to Malawi’s limited land
area. USAID grantee Land O’ Lakes (LOL), partnering with
World Wide Sires, continues to promote the growth of the dairy
industry in Malawi through 55 dairy associations with over 6,376
members (46% of which are women). Milk sales grew by 71% this
year, from U.S. $439,276 in FY 2004 to U.S. $752,000.
2005 was a year of transition for the Democracy/Governance portfolio.
The primary focus was on the Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) Threshold Country Program development process in Malawi,
which resulted in a $20.9 million award to Malawi to fight corruption
and increase fiscal responsibility. U.S Economic Support Funds
(ESF) complemented the MCC Threshold Country Plan formulation,
providing technical and training support to the Anti-Corruption
Bureau Investigation Department, delivered by the Department of
Treasury. USAID also mobilized a project supported with Conflict
Mitigation and Management funding, building on the strength of
previous work through radio, to reduce the potential of inter-religious
conflict in Malawi. During the year many projects associated with
the Mission’s previous strategy closed out and another project
was terminated for the convenience of the government to accommodate
changes in partner funding priorities.
In 2005 the USAID Health Team met or exceeded almost all of its
targets. Under-five mortality rates declined from a high of 189
per thousand live births in 2000 to 133 per thousand live births
in 2004--much lower than the 2005 target of 175 per thousand.
Total fertility rate (TFR) declined to 6 children per woman, which
was the target for 2005. The proportion of Malawian children sleeping
under an insecticide treated bednet (ITN) (26% in 2004) was more
than three times the proportion (8%) sleeping under an ITN in
2000. In the area of HIV prevention, the number of USAID-assisted
counseling and testing centers increased from 3 in 2000 to 51
in FY 2005--overshooting the target of 39 sites. The number of
clients assisted at these sites per year increased from about
22,000 in 2000 to more than 59,000 in 2005. The country completed
a national Demographic and Health Survey with major support from
USAID/Malawi. The preliminary results of that survey were released
during the year and the final report is being prepared. When completed,
the first-ever nationally representative population-based HIV
sero-prevalence rate for Malawi will be available, which will
make for better-informed policy and program decisions as the nation
combats the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Improving the quality and efficiency of basic education remain
the major development challenges in the Malawi education system.
USAID continues to fund activities that target quality and efficiency
at the primary education sub-sector level, which is having a positive
effect at both the local and national levels. At the local level,
USAID-funded activities are helping communities and parents make
more informed decisions to improve the quality and efficiency
of primary schooling. In 2005 USAID continued to improve the quality
and efficiency of basic education through: (1) development of
teachers’ professional skills through long-term undergraduate
and graduate training in Malawi and the U.S.; (2) reinforcement
of innovative classroom practices through pre-service and in-service
teacher training; (3) participation of communities and teacher
training colleges in HIV/AIDS outreach activities; and (4) support
of Government of Malawi adoption of key policy reforms in teacher
education and HIV/AIDS.
The United States is the largest contributor to the World Food
Program (WFP) in Malawi, providing over $100 million in food and
other emergency assistance through WFP since early 2002. USAID
will also be partnering with WFP to meet emergency humanitarian
needs in response to the failed 2005 harvest. USAID will coordinate
requests to the USG for humanitarian assistance, and WFP will
handle the logistics of import and distribution.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health
and Human Services
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) operates two programs within
Malawi: Global AIDS Program (GAP) and Malawi Malaria Program (MMP).
The CDC GAP office started in November 2001 with an emphasis
on establishing long-term working relationships with the Malawi
Government, the National AIDS Commission (NAC) and the Ministry
of Health (MOH). The major areas of focus during the initial phase
included strengthening Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT),
HIV surveillance, evaluation, infrastructure, and capacity-building
activities.
GAP Malawi supports multiple HIV surveillance activities including
sentinel surveillance and the Priorities for Local AIDS Control
Efforts (PLACE) survey. In partnership with NAC, CDC GAP continued
to strengthen VCT, developing multiple national VCT building blocks
such as VCT Guidelines and VCT Training materials. CDC GAP also
improved the communications and data analysis capacity at NAC
by helping to establish their computer system and establish the
foundation for data analysis.
In 2003, responsibility for the HIV technical activity was transferred
from NAC back to the MOH. CDC awarded two cooperative agreements
to provide transitional support for a smooth transfer of activities,
roles and responsibilities. In addition, GAP has cooperative agreements
that support implementation of quality VCT, HIV treatment, and
pre-service training to strengthen HIV testing capacity. Capacity-building
is an integral part of all GAP Malawi activities. GAP Malawi recently
went through a joint HIV/AIDS strategy development process, along
with USAID, the Department of Defense, Peace Corps, and the Embassy.
The CDC MMP is jointly funded by USAID and CDC has evolved to
provide more support to the national prevention and control program.
CDC MMP has supported the work of the National Malaria Control
Programme in developing the country strategic plan for Roll Back
Malaria (RBM), developing the national "Malaria Policy,"
developing guidelines for the management of ITNs Program, and
participating in other national program activities.
The Blantyre Integrated Malaria Initiative (BIMI), a program
of CDC MMP, is a district-wide malaria-control effort, supported
jointly by the Government of Malawi, the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID), and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). BIMI was established in Blantyre
District, Malawi in 1998 to promote sustainable and effective
strategies to manage and prevent malaria-related morbidity and
mortality.
Initial BIMI efforts focused on measurement of baseline data
at health facilities and in the community. The information gathered
was used to identify gaps in malaria control activities, to guide
strategies for implementation of interventions, and to provide
baseline measurements so that the success of program interventions
can be monitored.
Peace Corps
The first Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Malawi in 1963. Under
the conservative Banda regime, the program was suspended for several
years due to the "nonconformist" role of some volunteers
but was restored in 1978. Since that time, the program has developed
a close working relationship with the Government of Malawi. In
total, over 2,200 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers
in Malawi.
The change of government in 1994 allowed the placement of volunteers
at the community level for the first time. With the increased
flexibility in programming, the Peace Corps began working to refocus
programming and identify more appropriate areas for Peace Corps
intervention at the community level. Currently, there are about
100 volunteers working in health, education, and environment.
Health volunteers work in areas of AIDS education, orphan care,
home-based care, youth and at-risk groups, child survival activities,
nutrition, disease prevention, environmental health, and women's
health issues. For many years, Peace Corps/Malawi had the only
stand-alone HIV/AIDS project in the Peace Corps, and HIV/AIDS
continues to be the cornerstone for health activities.
Education volunteers teach in the fields of physical science,
mathematics, biology, and English at Community Day Secondary Schools
(CDSSs), generally community-started and -supported entities.
Environment volunteers focus on community-based management of
natural resources with border communities near national parks
and forest reserves that want to utilize their resources in a
more sustainable manner. This includes the promotion of sustainable
agricultural practices, income-generating activities, and agroforestry
interventions.
The Crisis Corps program utilizes returned volunteers in short-term
assignments for specific projects related to HIV/AIDS and food
security. Crisis Corps volunteers are generally assigned with
a local NGO to assist with activities that build capacity and
develop materials within the organizations.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Alan Eastham
Deputy Chief of Mission--David Gilmour
USAID Mission Director--Curt Reintsma
Peace Corps Director--Pamela Martin
Centers for Disease Control Director (acting)--John Aberle-Grasse
The U.S. Embassy in Malawi is situated in the diplomatic enclave
adjacent to Lilongwe's City Center section. The address is American
Embassy, P.O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi (tel. 265-773 166/342/367;
fax 265-772-471).
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health
conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political
disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country.
Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends
that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements
are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas
that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers.
Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau
of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system:
202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings
also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page:
http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication
series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning
a safe trip abroad, are on the Internet and hard copies can be
purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may
be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202)
647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call
202-647-4000.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department
of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S.
passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778).
Customer service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are
available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time,
excluding federal holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety
for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information
for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280)
is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency
and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest
to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a
country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country,
see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this
publication).
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous
areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s
travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov
or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in
a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of
their passports. This may help family members contact you in case
of an emergency.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov,
the Department of State web site provides timely, global access
to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background
Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key
officers of Foreign Service posts and more.
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance
and market information offered by the federal government and provides
trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process,
and more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade
information from the Federal government. The site includes current
and historical trade-related releases, international market research,
trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access
to the National Trade Data Bank.
