The Ministry of Health and Sanitation has instructed staff at Mulanje District Hospital to reduce neonatal deaths from 13 per 1,000 births to single digits, according to Nation Online. Director of Reproductive Health Owen Chikhwaza issued the directive during the handover of a refurbished nursery ward, completed by Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (Nest360) Malawi in partnership with Africap LLC. Chikhwaza stated that the upgraded facility will equip nursing staff to deliver better quality care for newborns.
Update: Following earlier coverage of expanding measles outbreak interventions, health authorities in Karonga District have announced a targeted measles and rubella vaccination campaign for approximately 120,000 children aged nine months to 10 years, the Malawi News Agency reports. Scheduled for late September, the drive aims for 95 percent coverage to combat rising infections. District health officials confirmed 376 measles cases nationwide this year and are currently engaging local leaders and religious groups who have previously rejected medical treatments.
In Blantyre District, a community project is addressing the severe respiratory impacts of traditional cooking methods, reports NewsGhana. The Eco-Feminist Energy Justice Project, run by local youth organisations with support from SHINE Collab, is helping communities transition away from charcoal and firewood. With over 97 percent of Malawian households relying on biomass fuels, the Ministry of Health estimates that indoor air pollution from cooking fires contributes to around 13,000 deaths annually.
Additionally, the Malawi Environmental Health Association held its 2026 Annual General Meeting in Salima this week. During the event, keynote speaker and Zambian entrepreneur Kennedy Nduna urged environmental health professionals to pursue private sector business opportunities to create jobs and reduce their reliance on government employment, according to official Ministry of Health communications.