January 31st, 2013

(IRIN) – The waiting area of a clinic in northern Malawi’s Nkhata Bay resembles a kindergarten, with dozens of children running around or tugging on their mothers’ skirts. On average, each woman at the clinic has four small children with her.

Among them is Lillian Nasenda, who, at age 45, is pregnant with her eighth child. She dropped out of school when she was a teenager after becoming pregnant with her first.

“I cannot…

Iranti-Org’s director Jabu Pereira is currently documenting Tiwonge ‘Aunt TT’, from Malawi to South Africa. In 2010, Aunt TT together with Steve Monjeza was sentenced to 14 years in prison for being gay. Aunt TT is a self-identified Transwoman, she has identified as a woman all her life. Now, she lives in South Africa as refugee.

A 2009 survey by the World Health Organization on Non Communicable Diseases, or NCDs, and its risk factors shows that 20 percent of all Malawians consume alcohol. The study indicates that one in five men and one in 50 women drink excessively. Overall, the survey shows that about eight percent of all people of all drinkers consume too much.

Health experts say alcohol abuse causes significant public health problems. Dr Beatrice Mwagomba, the Program Officer for the NCDs and Mental Health in the Ministry of Health,  says “There diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular diseases…

Pictures of the main Airlines which land regularly in Lilongwe, at KIA.

We have Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and South Africa Airlines