Malawi Flashcards
Malawi’s Development
Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 160th out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index.
According to the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report for 2009, about 74 per cent of the population still lives below the income poverty line of US$1.25 a day and 90 per cent below the US$2 a day threshold.
Almost 30 per cent of poor children do not even start primary school, which is free in Malawi.
More than a third of rural households earn their livelihood only from farming or fishing. An additional 25 per cent combine work on their farm with other jobs, largely in agriculture.
Illness or injury is also very common, as are shocks associated with death of family members, heightened by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has affected 11.9 per cent of the population.
Tobacco is Malawi’s largest export cash crop, accounting for over 50 per cent of export earnings, followed by tea and sugar.
Life expectancy is 61 years.
GNI per capita as $250 per capita.
Over 90,000 people in Malawi live with HIV/AIDS – more than one in ten adults are infected.
Free primary schooling was introduced in 1994, which led to a significant increase in the numbers of children. With a ratio of 80 pupils for every one teacher, and sometimes 100 children to a classroom, Malawi currently suffers from a lack of educational infrastructure and resources.
Why is Malawi so impoverished?
Malawi is so impoverished because of a variety of social, economic, environmental and political factors:
Socially - Poverty and inequality remain high in Malawi. The 2011 Integrated Household Survey showed that over half of the population was poor and one quarter lived in extreme poverty. Poverty has been increasing in rural areas where 85% of the population lives, compared to urban areas where it fell significantly from 25 to 17%.
Economic - GDP is low but grew by 1.9% in 2012 and 5.2% in 2013. In 2014 the growth was mainly due to the growth of the agricultural sector, information and communication and wholesale and retail trade sector. Maize is estimated at 2.7 million metric tonnes while tobacco which is the country’s major foreign exchange earner is estimated at 170 million kgs.
Environmental - In 2014-2015 Malawi was hit by floods and drought which affected crop production.
Malawi is a land-locked country in southern Africa, bordered by three other countries: Tanzania in the north, Zambia in the west and Mozambique in the east and south. This limits the amount of external trade Malawi can receive.
Political - Malawi continues to enjoy a stable and democratic government. Since the end of the one party regime in 1993, it has organized five peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections, one of which was a tripartite including local government elections. Current president Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika is in his first five-year term which started in 2014. The next elections are due in 2019.
Malawi and the Development Goals
Since the 2014 development report Malawi has shown some progress in achieving four of the Development Goals.The four MDGs that are likely to be achieved are: Reducing Child Mortality; Combating HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other diseases; Ensuring Environmental Sustainability; and Developing Global Partnership for Development. The four that are in doubt are: Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger; Achieving Universal Primary Education; Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment and Improving Maternal Health.
Aid in Malawi:
Save the Children: In Malawi since 1983, Save the Children works directly or through partners in over a dozen districts. They seek to ensure that children in need are protected, healthy and nourished, educated and live in economically secure households, while helping communities mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS. Save the Children is also working to make education more accessible and equal. They increase children’s access to basic education, help children stay in school and enhance the quality of education.
HIV testing and Counselling services have increased over last few years in Malawi, surpassing national targets. During 2012-2013 over 2.1 million HIV tests were conducted, exceeding the national target by 20%. In addition, the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan has developed various prevention policies and strategies for reducing HIV incidence.
