Malawi calls for teamwork on food security efforts
Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale has urged collaboration among countries to achieve food security and reduce harm to health and climate change impacts.
The minister said this on Thursday in his address at the Second African Health Harm Reduction Conference here in Marrakesh, Morocco.
He said Malawi looks forward to collaboration among African countries to enhance food security and strengthen trade and information-sharing.
“By working together at the national, continental and global levels, we can embrace a shared responsibility to shape the future of food security for generations to come,” said Kawale.
He also outlined measures Malawi is implementing to fight hunger.
Said the minister: “Some of the strategies include diversification of agriculture, investing in infrastructure, promoting climate-resilient farming practices and [facilitating] access to credit and technology.”
Meanwhile, Kawale has disclosed that Malawi will open an embassy in Morocco’s capital, Rabat, in a bid to foster existing bilateral ties between the two countries.
He said this after meeting Morocco Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forestry on the sidelines of the conference.
Said Kawale: “The two countries have engaged in bilateral agreements and cooperation in various fields such as trade, agriculture, education, health, and cultural exchanges. These agreements aim to enhance collaboration and promote mutual benefits.
“It is because of this reason that Morocco donated 10 000 metric tines (MT) of MoP that we blended to make 52 000 MT of NPK during last year’s affordable Inputs Programme. And I took my time to thank the government of Morocco for this kind gesture.
“Economic relations between Malawi and Morocco involve trade and investment. It is for this reason that I invited the Minister to visit Malawi with a team of investors to look at the opportunities we have for them in crop production, livestock production, value addition, mechanisation and the whole value chain in the agriculture sector.”
Speaking when she addressed the same meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daud said Malawi has not been spared the recent impacts to ecosystems, citing the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy in March this year.
“This caused significant disruption to health service delivery and access, increased disease burden and loss of health records.
“The ongoing cholera outbreak with over 58 992 confirmed cases to date and the death toll of over 1 768 cases across 29 districts is another area of public health concern. Our ministry is still recovering from the consequences,” she said.
On his part, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe, who also attended the meeting, said Malawi has benefitted from the conference.
He said: “There is a huge benefit from this conference, especially that it has brought a link between issues of environment, water, disasters as well as the health sector.
“We have seen that much as disasters can happen, certain outbreaks can happen, there is need to have systems in place to reduce harm that affects the people. “So, that calls for big investments in the health sector to reduce the harm.”
