MALAWI

COUNTRY STATEMENT ON SOCIAL SECTOR PROGRESS DELIVERED BY THE MINISTER OF GENDER, YOUTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, HON. MRS MARY KAPHWELEZA BANDA, M.P.

AT THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OUTCOME OF THE WORLD SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT HELD IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND FROM 26 - 30 JUNE, 2000

• Mr. Chairman,
   
• Secretary General,
  
  
• Distinguished Delegates
  
  
• Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great honour for me to participate in this very important conference and to present to you, on behalf of the Malawi Government and people of Malawi a Statement on the efforts we have made and are making towards the development of the Social Sector since the World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in March, 1995. Before I do so, allow me to thank the Government of Switzerland for hosting this important conference.

Malawi's economy is Agriculture based with 80% of the labour force working in this sector. This sector accounts for 62% of the country's total exports. Poverty is rampant in Malawi with over 60% of the population below the poverty line. There is also high gender imbalance with women who constitute 51 % of the population experiencing extensive socio-economic problems. The poverty situation in Malawi is characterized by:

• Low levels of education
• Gender imbalance
• Limited access to and control of Means of production
• Food insecurity
• Poor access to safe drinking water
• High population growth, and others.

This situation has been compounded by the HIV/AIDS epidemic which has been estimated to affect 14% of the population.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Out of the ten commitments that the World Summit for Social Development adopted during its conference in 1995, Malawi singled out five of them as the most critical for addressing issues related to the social sector development and the five are:

Mr. Chairman,

let me briefly explain the progress that Malawi has achieved under each one of these commitments since the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen.

In creating an enabling environment for social development, the Government of Malawi has, since embracing the multiparty democracy in 1994, implemented political and institutional reforms to ensure that its young democracy is insured and protected. In this regard the government has created institutions to further this cause and these are:

• The Anti-Corruption Bureau
• The Human Rights Commission
• The Law Commission
• The Office of the Ombudsman
• The Compensation Tribunal
• The Electoral Commission, and
• The Industrial Court Tribunal

The Government is also reviewing a number of laws to ensure that they are in line with the current political environment. In the same vein, the government policy of decentralization has included the masses at grassroots level in decision-making.

In eradicating wide spread poverty, the Government set up the Poverty Alleviation program. In 1995 the Government came up with the policy Framework Paper for Poverty Alleviation. As part of the Poverty Alleviation Program implementation, the Poverty
Monitoring System was launched in November 1996.

The other strategy undertaken in addressing poverty is the setting up of the Malawi Social Action Fund.The Government with Donor assistance has instituted safety nets as a means for poverty reduction. There are also credit programmes for the rural poor managed by both Government, NGO and the private sector.
On Health, let me state that health indicators in Malawi have remained poor despite substantial inputs. The Malawi Government has therefore instituted the fourth national health plan to address the following:

• Reproductive Health Services.
• Child Health, and
• Other Health Services

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

• Implementation of our Essential Health Package
  
• Decentralisation of Health Care Services and the
• Introduction and strengthening of cost recovery/user fees.

Distinguished Guests,
The National Health Plan aims to seriously address issues on the HIV/AIDS crisis. The State President in 1999 launched the HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework for the period 2000-2004. The goal of the plan is to reduce incidences of HIV and other STDs. The framework addresses the following cross cutting issues:

• Culture and HIV/AIDS
• Youth Social change and HIV/AIDS Socio-economic status and HIV/AIDS
• Despair and hopelessness of the sick
• HIV/AIDS care and support
• HIV/AIDS and orphans, widows and widowers
• HIV prevention
• Information, Education and Communication on HIV/AIDS
• Voluntary confidential counseling and Testing

• The introduction of free primary Education
  
  
• Diversification of strategies for expanding access to secondary education
  
  
• Enhancing capacity for Teacher Training and Development
  
  
• Improving capacity for higher education
  
  
• Decentralisation of teacher development and support services
  
  
• Efficient resource utilization
  
  

• The creation of the Ministry Responsible for Gender, Youth and Community Services to ensure that gender imbalances and youth issues are put in sharp focus.
  
  
• The creation of the Ministry Responsible for People with Disabilities in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
  
  
• The Government's ratification of various UN Conventions such as Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women and the convention on the Rights of Children, etc.
  
  
• The review of all laws that discriminate against women and children.
  
  
• The establishment of the National Youth Council to work as an arm of Government on Youth issues.
  
  

The Malawi Government has also made significant strides to mobilize resources for Social Development. Some notable strategies adopted are as follows:

• Budgetary allocation for social services has been increased,
  
  
• The Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) was set up to provide financing of projects at grassroots level.

• The country's indebtedness to international financial institutions has reduced Government's ability to adequately support the social sector.
  
  
• The conditionalities of the Structural Adjustment Programs has negatively affected the poverty alleviation program.
  
  
• There is lack of human and financial capacity to adequately deal with some of the commitments.
  
  
• The ever-increasing health care needs are putting a lot of strain on the scarce resources.
  
  
• The HIV/AIDS epidemic is seriously affecting the productive capacity of the country's labour force.
  
  
• Employment creation is not growing at the required pace to absorb the excess labour force.

Let me conclude by placing on record that the Malawi Government is fully committed to creating an enabling environment for social progress, Poverty eradication, the promotion and attainment of universal quality of education and health, social integration and the mobilization and efficient utilization of resources for social development.