On The Ground in Malawi: Poverty and Illness

Poverty at the root of the problem

Threats to nature and threats to people form a web of causalities where success can be achieved only if every part of the problem is addressed. In Malawi, the greatest problems faced by people are related to debilitating illnesses, lack of education, as well as poverty.

High HIV infection

People in Malawi are extraordinarily friendly, flashing a warm smile to any stranger. But at the same time, many of them are carrying a burden of sorrow within. Many have friends or relatives who are struggling with illness.

There are various estimates on the prevalence of HIV virus in Malawi. According a 2001 estimate, 15 % of the population have the HIV virus. Another estimate is as high as 40 %.

Malaria and bilharzia, two deadly diseases

Other severe disease problems include malaria and bilharzia. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be deadly, especially for those who are already suffering from some other disease.

Bilharzia – also known as the schistosomiasis disease – is caused by a parasite that spends part of its life cycle in snails living in shallow waters. At a certain age, the parasite leaves the snail and leads a free-swimming life until it finds a human host. It penetrates through the skin of the victim and starts living as a parasite within the body, causing a disease that can ultimately lead to death, if untreated.

Due to health problems, current estimates of life expectancy range from 28 to 37 years.

Malnutrition prevalent, exacerbated by drought

A deficiency of protein and calcium in the daily diet is not uncommon. The staple food in rural areas is nsima, or maize porridge. Even though it is sometimes eaten with vegetables or fish, malnutrition is still prevalent.

In recent years, the situation has sometimes become worse because the rainy season has not begun on time. The fields are sown before the rains, and the crops start growing only when the rains start watering the fields. Normally the rains start in November, but at the end of 2002 the weather stayed dry, and the rains did not start until January 2003. This caused a famine in many areas of Malawi.

The effect of poverty on education

According to a 2003 estimate, 50 % of women and 70 % of men can read and write. Primary school is free in Malawi, making it easier for children to go to school than in some other countries. But poverty can make education impossible in another way: in some families children cannot go to school since they are needed to help with farming and other work at home. 

Population growth and population imbalance

One of the challenges is the population growth rate. An average of 6.1 children are born during the lifetime of a woman. According to a 2003 estimate, the Malawian population grows by 2.2 % annually, making the task of managing natural resources ever more demanding.

At the same, the devastation caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is creating a population imbalance: a diminishing professional, income-generating generation, a growing number of orphans (many carrying the HIV virus) and a weakened older generation.