Tackling child marriages begins with 'you'

Child marriage perpetuates poverty over generations and is linked to poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability, and disregard for the rule of law. Here some children in Feni village in Eastern province of Zambia posse for a photo.

The scale of child marriage is huge: between 2010 and 2020 it is estimated that 142 million girls will marry as children.

But if we act to prevent child marriage now, we could dramatically improve the maternal and child health outcomes for millions of girls and women. Child marriage and maternal health are inextricably linked.

As world leaders, government ministers, civil society organisations and maternal health specialists gather in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for Women Deliver 2013, a major global conference on women’s health, we outline 5 reasons why ending child marriage should be a vital part of efforts to improve the health of girls and women worldwide.

Pregnancy and childbirth are dangerous for adolescent girls; most adolescent pregnancies take place within marriage.

Complications in pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle-income countries. 90% of adolescent pregnancies in the developing world are to girls who are already married.

Child marriage encourages the initiation of sexual activity at an age when girls’ bodies are still developing.

Girls who give birth before the age of 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than girls in their 20s. Child brides are also vulnerable to obstetric fistula, a preventable yet debilitating injury resulting from obstructed labour or prolonged childbirth. 65% of all cases of obstetric fistula occur in girls under the age of 18.

Child brides are under intense social pressure to prove their fertility.

Child brides often face pressure from their husband’s family, their own family and the wider community to have children soon after marriage.

They become mothers at an early age, which makes them more likely to experience early and frequent pregnancies.

Child brides have little power to plan whether, when or how many children to have.

It is very difficult to for child brides to assert their wishes with their often older husbands. It is hard for them to exercise their right to family planning and to choose when and whether to have children.

Child brides are particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Child brides lack the knowledge or power to abstain from sex or to negotiate safe sexual practices with their often older and more sexually experienced husbands.

The practice of child marriage is a violation of human rights. Every day, girls around the world are forced to leave their families, marry against their will, endure sexual and physical abuse, and bear children while still in childhood themselves.

This practice is driven by poverty, deeply embedded cultural traditions, and pervasive discrimination against girls.

Yet in many parts of the world, this ancient practice still flourishes: estimates show that nearly five million girls are married under the age of fifteen every year, and some are as young as eight or nine years old.

Child marriage, however, is not simply a human rights violation. It is also a threat to the prosperity and stability of the countries in which it is prevalent and undermines development and policy priorities.

Child marriage perpetuates poverty over generations and is linked to poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability, and disregard for the rule of law.

Its effects are harmful not only to girls, but also to families, communities, and economies and to any national interest around the globe.

Malawi sells presidential jet

Malawi's presidential jet has been auctioned off to a Virgin Islands company for $15-million after the government disposed of it to raise funds.

Bohnox Enterprise beat three other bidders for the 14-passenger aircraft used by president Bingu wa Mutharika, who died last year.

"We have accepted their offer and we are waiting to hear from them," Cabinet clerk Ernest Katchetche said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old Dassault Falcon 900-EX had been described as being in "perfect flying condition".

Mutharika's successor, President Joyce Banda, decided to sell the aircraft and a fleet of luxury cars used by the big-spending leader.

The government initially set the price at $20-million.

Mutharika controversially acquired the jet for $22-million in 2009, calling it "an asset" for his impoverished country.

Maintainance and insurance for the aircraft reportedly cost the state $300 000 a year.

The southern African nation relies on donor funding to finance its development budget, with half of its 13-million citizens living below the poverty line.

Britain, which is Malawi's main bilateral donor, criticised the purchase of the jet and reduced its aid budget by £3-million.

Since taking office, Banda has introduced a host of cost-cutting measures and uses commercial airlines to travel outside the country.AFP

 

 

 

Dirk Niebel visits Zambia

By DOREEN NAWA
GERMANY'S Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel is in the country to gain a first hand impression on the efforts to establish the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
KAZA is the biggest transnational conservation area in the world, and includes parts of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.
Through the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Germany supports KAZA through the provision of 35.5 million euros in development cooperation funding.
The funds are used for the development of park infrastructure such as ranger accommodation, park management posts and roads.
The German government also supports the KAZA secretariat by providing staff and advice on the development of transfrontier standards and regulations.
During his visit, Niebel will also get an impression of Zambia's political and economic situation and to discuss bilateral relations with senior government officials, according to a statement issued by the German Embassy in Lusaka.
Niebel's delegation includes members of the German Parliament, the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and its Advisory Council as well as German media representatives.
From Namibia, Niebel will arrive in Sesheke in the Western Province on Tuesday and visit the Ngonye Falls on Wednesday.
According to the programme, Niebel will meet tourism and arts minister Sylvia Masebo, and participate in the topping-out ceremony for the new park administration offices of Sioma Ngwezi National Park.
On Thursday morning, Niebel and his delegation will meet finance minister Alexander Chikwanda to discuss issues on bilateral cooperation, before leaving for Johannesburg later in the afternoon.
Germany has been supporting Zambia in various fields, including governance.

Zambia, Zimbabwe US envoys cycle for tourism

Mark Storella, United States ambassador to Zambia

THE United States ambassadors to Zambia and Zimbabwe has today began a three-day cross-border bike ride between the two countries to promote tourism.

Ambassadors Bruce Wharton, the US envoy to Zimbabwe, and Mark Storella, the US envoy to Zambia, will be joined by diplomatic staff and celebrities from both countries including comedian Carl Joshua Ncube, ZiFM DJ Lorraine Bgoya and the reigning Miss USA Nana Meriwether, who is currently visiting Zambia.
The American diplomats will lead a delegation of cyclists that includes from Zambia, Minister of Tourism and Arts Sylvia Masebo, Second Lady Charlotte Scott, Livingstone Town Clerk Vivian Chikoti, visiting Miss USA Nana Meriwether, U.S. Embassy officers and Zambian Youth Ambassadors Humphrey Mwila aka “Cactus” and Luyando Haangala aka “Lulu.”
Joining the cycling delegation from Zimbabwe will also be comedian Carl Joshua Ncube and ZiFM DJ Lorraine Bgoya. The U.S. Bike Across Borders trip highlights the economic and conservation merits of tourism ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN WTO) General Assembly co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe August 24-29.
“I have seen the beauty of all corners of Zambia, from the great Zambezi River to the cascading Kalambo Falls in Mbala,” said Ambassador Storella. “I am delighted to be able to share the wealth of Zambia’s cultural heritage with our visitors. Together, by respecting and protecting natural resources and cultural arts, we can help Zambia and the region to diversify its economy, spur private investment, and create jobs that lead to prosperity.”
The Bike Across Borders tour begins with the Zambian delegation Monday, May 20 and features a tour of Livingstone General Hospital and Nsongwe Women’s Association. On Tuesday, May 21, the Zambian delegation will meet the Zimbabwean delegation on the Victoria Falls Bridge and escort them on a bike tour of Livingstone to include a waterfall tour and visits to cultural sites including the David Livingstone Museum, Chief Mukuni’s Palace and Big 5 Game Safaris.
The bike trip ends on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls Thursday, May 23. In addition to bicycling through Livingstone and Victoria Falls, the two diplomats and their traveling delegations will learn about tourism-related entrepreneurial endeavors, promotion of cultural arts, eco-tourism, and wildlife conservation to include snare clearing and protection of endangered vultures. The delegations will also meet local government officials, participate in a U.S. government-funded sports program with high school students and tour U.S. government-funded health facilities.

Ahead of the expedition, Ambassador Wharton said: “Zimbabwe and Zambia share one of the great natural wonders of the world: Victoria Falls.

“With spectacular landscapes and wildlife, this area is truly a world treasure and should be protected and nurtured for future generations from every country to cherish. It is also the foundation for a growing eco-tourism industry that can and should create jobs and bring development to the people of the area.”
The bike ride is being held to highlight the economic and conservation merits of tourism in the area ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly set to be held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Livingstone, Zambia, in August this year.
According to the Zimbabwe Tourism Association, Americans make up the largest group of non-African international tourists to Zimbabwe.
The diplomats and their celebrity cyclists will begin the ride in Zambia on Tuesday and finish on the Zimbabwe side of the Victoria Falls on Thursday.
Along the route, the two diplomats and their group will visit the national parks on both sides of the border, learning about snare clearing and endangered vultures, and meeting with disabled handicraft makers.
They will also meet local government officials, tour a U.S. government-funded family planning clinic, and visit the medical clinic that assists American tourists in the unfortunate need of medical evacuation.
Zimbabwe and Zambia will co-host the 20th UNWTO General Assembly from August 24-29 in Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
This is only the second time that Africa will host the UNWTO General Assembly, after Senegal in 2005.

Cellphone revolution yet to fully benefit disabled

By DOREEN NAWA

CELL phones have revolutionised life for most people, but for the blind, finding a cell phone that they can use is nearly impossible. For example, features such as keys that can be identified by touch, displays that can be read by the blind persons and phones with speech output for people who cannot read the phone's display are not widely available. And the list seems endless and Jony Phiri has this to say, "The world is cruel; most of the assistive technologies address only certain sorts of disability and not the blind. The development of information communication and technology (ITC) has neglected the visually-impaired population in Zambia." According to Mr Phiri, a visually impaired primary school trainee teacher, this situation has made them (blind) feel side-lined and left out even in the advent of mobile phones and the use of SMS following the mobile service providers failure to provide certain information in Braille. "I do not know how many times we will bring this to the attention of these subscribers, I am on Airtel and whenever there is a promotion or any information, it does not come in Braille. There is one specific promotion of concern to me,' send money', where I will be given a pin number to enter but because of my condition, I have to give someone to help me and there is no privacy there and my consumer rights are being violated," Mr Phiri said. A mobile phone is totally pointless if you cannot make or receive calls, and send or receive text messages. It is all well and good being privy to your gadget's output, but if one cannot communicate with the device, then it will be a frustrating and a one-sided relationship with the gadget. Issues of privacy are always paramount but for the visually impaired, they are never considered, theirs is a different story. Totally blind phone purchasers, consider whether the buttons are well defined, evenly spaced, and arranged in a sensible way so that you can hit the one you want without thinking about it. According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted on 13 December 2006, all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorisation of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention, to which Zambia is a party, was ratified in Zambia in 2010 and has now been domesticated simultaneously with the Persons with Disability Act number 6 of 2012 which provides for equal accessibility of services including telecommunications services. "The Persons with Disability Act number 6 of 2012 requires cell phones and phone services to be designed to be accessible for people with disabilities. This Act also provides for our privacy as people with disabilities," says Zambia Disability HIV and AIDS human rights director Elijah Ngwale. Mr Ngwale is a lifelong civil servant and advocate for persons with disabilities. He lost his sight in his early childhood due to cataracts and feels a lot needs to be done to protect the privacy of persons with disabilities. "Mobile service providers and manufacturers should find ways to make information and phones disability friendly. They should also carryout sensitisation workshops for both the blind and their customer care workers and see how they can incorporate the blind in their promotions and services," says Mr Ngwale. According to Mr Ngwale, learning from existing technologies in western countries which are accessible things like text-to-speech and screen magnification is provided by some of the manufacturers of smart phone like iPhone out-of-the-box, without the need for any additional software can be the best way to start.

However, far too many cell phone manufacturers and carriers are not taking seriously their accessibility obligation. Integrate accessibility features into digital telecommunications equipment is paramount for everyone's access regardless of their physical state. To ensure that telecommunication services and devices are accessible to blind Zambians, a positive step towards achieving accessibility has to be taken, says the Zambia Information Communication and Technology Authority (ZICTA). "Access to telecommunications devices and information is critical in today's world. Digital TV, cell phones, and Internet web sites have all become part of the mainstream society, and serve as one of the primary means by which we get information about the world around us," says ZICTA head of information and consumer protection Katwamba Mwansa. Cable TV providers now require the use of digital set-top boxes, the menus, programme guide, and settings all of which are entirely inaccessible to a person who is blind. "As the regulator, we are in consultation with various mobile service providers and other telecommunication service providers to see the way forward in addressing this challenge," says Mwansa. With the advent and proliferation of these digital technologies, accessibility has suffered. Cell phones are notorious for having minute buttons and small on-screen print, rendering them increasingly difficult to use for those who are blind.

Proflight Zambia increases its fleets

 

Proflight Zambia staff welcome the arrival of airline’s 737-200 aircraft in Lusaka

Proflight Zambia welcomed the latest addition to its fleets, the 105-seater Boeing 737-200 aircraft touched down at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka on Monday, May 13, 2013.The twin-engine jet plane marks a milestone for Zambia’s only scheduled airline, and will almost double the carrier’s seating capacity.
Proflight staff members were at the airport to welcome the aircraft from South Africa. It is expected to begin service on the Lusaka-Livingstone and Lusaka-Ndola routes this week, on which the airline has reduced fares to KR250 one-way or KR500 return for tickets booked at least 14 days in advance.
“The addition of the 737 aircraft represents a new milestone for Proflight,” said the airline’s Director of Government and Industry Affairs Capt. Philip Lemba. “This aircraft enables us to provide lower fares and operate more efficiently, making Zambia a serious contender in the regional aviation market.”
The increase in seating capacity will enable Proflight and its passengers to benefit from the economies of scale inherent in a large aircraft. The operating costs of a large aircraft are proportionately lower than those of a smaller plane. Airport landing fees, fuel and crew costs can thus be apportioned between greater numbers of passengers, bringing airfares down dramatically.
These new early bird fares will be passed on across Proflight’s domestic route of nine destinations, including those on which the smaller aircraft will still be operated.
One-way fares from Lusaka to Chipata will be KR700; KR1,025 to Kasama; KR855 to Mansa; KR650 from Kasama to Ndola; KR555 from Ndola to Mansa; KR1,025 from Ndola to Kasama via Lusaka; KR855 from Mansa to Ndola via Lusaka; KR630 from Ndola to Livingstone via Lusaka; KR670 from Ndola to Lower Zambezi via Lusaka; and KR720 from Solwezi to Livingstone via Lusaka. Fares include all charges except NACL taxes of K58 per flight.
The 737 aircraft will also play a pivotal role in getting delegates to Livingstone for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in August, raising the nation’s standing in the eyes of the world’s tourism industry.
The 737 aircraft is the best-selling aircraft in aviation history. The 737 is operated by more than 500 airlines, flying to 1,200 destinations in 190 countries, and represents more than a quarter of the worldwide fleet of large commercial jet airliners. On average, some 1,250 Boeing 737s airborne at any given time around the world, with two departing or landing somewhere every five seconds, according to Flight International.
The 737-200 can fly at speeds of up to 780kph, compared with the current maximum speed of 546kph of the Jetstream 41 aircraft, reducing flight times significantly. Its cargo capacity will enable Proflight to offer increased baggage allowances on routes operated with the 737.

About Proflight Zambia

Proflight Zambia was established in 1991 and is the country’s only domestic scheduled airline. From its base in Lusaka it flies to Livingstone, Mfuwe, Lower Zambezi, Ndola, Solwezi, Chipata, Mansa and Kasama.
The airline prides itself in providing a safe, reliable, efficient and friendly service, and offering good value to business and leisure travellers locally and internationally.
The airline operates one 105-seater Boeing 737-200; two 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft; three 18-seater Jetstream 32’s; two 12-seater Caravan C208; nine-seater Britten Norman Islander; seven-seater Cessna C401/C402; and two five-seater Beech Baron.

New study highlights role of insects for food and feed consumption

Edible insects

By DOREEN NAWA
Forests, trees on farms and agroforestry are critical in the fight against hunger and should be better integrated into food security and land use policies, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today at the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition in Rome (13-15 May).

“Forests contribute to the livelihoods of more than a billion people, including many of the world’s neediest. Forests provide food, fuel for cooking, fodder for animals and income to buy food,” Graziano da Silva said.

“Wild animals and insects are often the main protein source for people in forest areas, while leaves, seeds, mushrooms, honey and fruits provide minerals and vitamins, thus ensuring a nutritious diet.”

“But forests and agroforestry systems are rarely considered in food security and land use policies. Often, rural people do not have secure access rights to forests and trees, putting their food security in danger. The important contributions forests can make to the food security and nutrition of rural people should be better recognized,” Graziano da Silva said.

Frittered critters – wild and farm-raised insects
One major and readily available source of nutritious and protein-rich food that comes from forests are insects, according to a new study FAO launched at the forests for food security and nutrition conference. It is estimated that insects form part of the traditional diets of at least 2 billion people. Insect gathering and farming can offer employment and cash income, for now mostly at the household level but also potentially in industrial operations.

An astounding array of creatures
With about 1 million known species, insects account for more than half of all living organisms classified so far on the planet.

According to FAO’s research, done in partnership with Wageningen University in the Netherlands, more than 1900 insect species are consumed by humans worldwide. Globally, the most consumed insects are: beetles (31 percent); caterpillars (18 percent); bees, wasps and ants (14 percent); and grasshoppers, locusts and crickets (13 percent). Many insects are rich in protein and good fats and high in calcium, iron and zinc. Beef has an iron content of 6 mg per 100 g of dry weight, while the iron content of locusts varies between 8 and 20 mg per 100 g of dry weight, depending on the species and the kind of food they themselves consume.

First steps for the squeamish
“We are not saying that people should be eating bugs,” said Eva Muller, Director of FAO’s Forest Economic Policy and Products Division, which co-authored “Edible insects: Future prospects for food and feed security”.

“We are saying that insects are just one resource provided by forests, and insects are pretty much untapped for their potential for food, and especially for feed,” Muller explained.

Farming insects sustainably could help avoid over-harvesting, which could affect more prized species. Some species, such as meal worms, are already produced at commercial levels, since they are used in niche markets such as pet food, for zoos and in recreational fishing.

If production were to be further automated, this would eventually bring costs down to a level where industry would profit from substituting fishmeal, for example, with insect meal in livestock feed. The advantage would be an increase in fish supplies available for human consumption.

Bugs get bigger on less
Because they are cold-blooded, insects don’t use energy from feed to maintain body temperature. On average, insects use just 2 kg of feed to produce 1 kilo of insect meat. Cattle, at the other end of the spectrum, require 8 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of beef.

In addition, insects produce a fraction of emissions such as methane, ammonia, climate-warming greenhouse gases and manure, all of which contaminate the environment. In fact, insects can be used to break down waste, assisting in the composting processes that deliver nutrients back to the soil while also diminishing foul odours.

Enabling policies lacking
However, legislation in most industrialized nations forbids the actual feeding of waste materials and slurry or swill to animals, even though this would be the material that insects normally feed on. Further research would be necessary, especially as regards the raising of insects on waste streams. But it is widely understood by scientists that insects are so biologically different from mammals that it is highly unlikely that insect diseases could be transmitted to humans.

Regulations often also bar using insects in food for human consumption, although with a growing number of novel food stores and restaurants cropping up in developed countries, it seems to be largely tolerated.

As with other types of food, hygienic production, processing and food preparation will be important to avoid the growth of bacteria and other micro-organisms that could affect human health. Food safety standards can be expanded to include insects and insect-based products, and quality control standards along the production chain will be key to creating consumer confidence in feed and food containing insects or derived from insects.

“The private sector is ready to invest in insect farming. We have huge opportunities before us,” said Paul Vantomme, one of the authors of the report. “But until there is clarity in the legal sphere, no major business is going to take the risk to invest funds when the laws remains unclear or actually hinders development of this new sector,” he explained.

Zambia determined to end the fight against Cervical Cancer



Zambia's first Lady Dr. Christine Kaseba

By DOREEN NAWA

FIRST Lady Christine Kaseba is hopeful that Zambia’s ranking of being the number 1 on the Cervical Cancer mortality rate worldwide will change.
Speaking in New York at the launch of the new Cervical Cancer Crisis Card on May 10, 2013, Dr Kaseba said Zambia’s future in the fight against cervical cancer is bright following the introduction of the approved Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
“It is shocking that Zambia is ranked number 1 on the Cervical Cancer Crisis Card for mortality rate,” said Dr Kaseba. “We can change this by making life saving vaccines available that almost entirely prevent the disease. We have the tools and technologies, this mother’s day we must stop talking and act to save women’s lives.”
Dr Kaseba said the startling disparities between women in the developed and developing world are personified by cervical cancer. 
“Unless life-saving HPV vaccines are prioritised by decision makers this inequity will remain.
“By investing in women, nations are investing in their future prosperity. If women are educated, and have access to good quality health services, then they and their children are much more likely to stay healthy and contribute positively to their nation,” Dr Kaseba said.
Last year, former Press Association of Zambia Vice President Susan Musukuma died after a year-long battle against cervical cancer, a battle she lost on November 28, 2012.

Former Press Association of Zambia, V/President Susan Musukuma

The Crisis Card is being launched globally to mark International Mother’s Day tomorrow May 12, 2013.
According to the Crisis Card, Zambia has the highest mortality rate for cervical cancer at 38.6 percent per 100,000 people  followed by Malawi with Australia having the lowest cervical cancer mortality rate.   The Cervical Cancer Crisis Card surveyed 50 countries.
“Australia has the lowest cervical cancer mortality rate, which is due to the successful rollout of a comprehensive package of HPV vaccines, treatment and prevention. According to the Government of Australia, there has also been a decline in genital warts and cervical abnormalities among young women since the introduction of the HPV vaccine in Australia,” the Crisis card read in parts.
India has highest number of women dying from cervical cancer and Zambia has highest mortality rate. Australia provides a global model for dramatically preventing cervical cancer.
More women die of cervical cancer in India than anywhere in the world. India along with China, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nigeria represent over 50% of the global burden of cervical cancer deaths.
However, African countries are struggling to deal with cervical cancer too according to the new Cervical Cancer Crisis Card, which ranks countries from across the world based on the number of deaths from cervical cancer and the overall mortality rate.
A woman in Zambia is 25 time more likely to die from cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women every year and 500,000 new cases are reported worldwide. This entirely preventable disease is the second largest cancer killer of women in low and middle-income countries.

Zambia battles HPV vaccine cynicism

 

GIRLS in primary schools between ages nine and 13 have been targeted for the HPV vaccine

By DOREEN NAWA
FROM the time it arrived in Zambia in February this year, the approved Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine has been embroiled in a medical, social, cultural, and political controversy.
This controversy has once again been revived in the recent debates. Parents are accusing Government of bringing in a vaccine that is completely new to Zambia and other African countries.
“We need proper explanation as to why our children should be vaccinated. We need to decide for our children because schoolchildren are below consent age. We need some explanation about this cervical cancer national project, otherwise we are not comfortable with whatever government is trying to do,” says Gabriel Chitema of Lusaka’s Kamanga area.
According to Mr Chitema, vaccination of children is one of the most controversial topics in African societies.
Although the vast majority of the conventional medical community believe they (vaccines) are an example of “preventive medicine”, there is a growing number of people who strongly disagree.
In Zambia, one vaccine that people are sceptical about is the HPV vaccine. There has been a lot of heated debate about the safety and effectiveness of this particular vaccine.
“It is important that the people that will be tasked to go round and administer the vaccine should come with proof. showing us where it has worked.
“Generally, vaccines or drugs are never safe at all. That is why it is advised that before you take any drug or accept to be vaccinated, you must be well informed about the drug you are taking,” says Mr Chitema.
Normally, users of drugs are warned about using drugs they do not know. The warning: ‘be informed before taking any drug’ is the reason why some residents in Lusaka’s Kamanga township are not comfortable to have their children vaccinated against cervical cancer.

But Mr Chitema’s views are different from Asled Phiri of the same area. According to Ms Phiri, the vaccine is timely following empirical evidence that children are becoming sexually active at an early age.
“A child will not tell you that she is sexually active for fear of being beaten. So I think the best is to give them this vaccine. Besides, the earlier the better, because prevention is better than cure.
“I would feel safe if my child is vaccinated from home rather than in school because this is a new vaccine, which has not been tried and tested here in Zambia,” says Ms Phiri. Children like Glenda Phiri, 9 (in the picture) might not receive the vaccine if not carefully educating her mother, Asled Phiri.
A total of 50,000 young girls are expected to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine during the cervical cancer national pilot project launched early this year.
The three districts to benefit from this programme are Lusaka, Chongwe and Kafue in a bid to prevent cervical cancer, which is a leading cause of death among women in Zambia. The idea for targeting girls aged between nine and 13 is to capture young girls who are not yet exposed to HPV infection.
Health professionals have been tasked to carry out the vaccination campaign by visiting primary schools and communities, and they are targeting 25,000 this year and another 25,000 next year.
For children who are not in school, the target is girls aged between 10 and 13.
During this campaign, medical personnel will also give talks to help curb superstitions and other reasons given by those who shun life-saving vaccinations.
Some people avoid taking their children for vaccination because they believe that vaccines have a negative effect in the long-term future, while others shun vaccines on religious and traditional beliefs, among others.
But Deputy Minister of Health Patrick Chikusu has one assurance: “It is not possible for Government to bring vaccines in the country which have no proven safety. I wish to assure the nation that Human Papillomavirus vaccines against cervical cancer have been tried and tested in developed countries.”
“The vaccines are important as they will help prevent deaths of women in Zambia. The rate at which cervical cancer is claiming lives of women is alarming,” says Dr Chikusu.
Globally, cervical cancer claims more lives of women than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.
If detected early, cervical cancer is treatable and curable. It is for this reason that screening for cervical cancer is important for all women, especially women living with HIV, who stand a better chance if they are screened regularly as any abnormalities will be detected and treated on time.
According to experts, young girls are susceptible to HPV, which can cause cervical cancer in later life.
Drastic changes have occurred over the years. Cervical cancer was not a common word in the medical circles. But today hundreds of women suffer from cervical cancer; many of them have died and others are in their sickbeds.
But over the years a vaccine meant to reduce the number of deaths and prevent this deadly disease has been discovered.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the HPV vaccine is a vaccine that has the potential to prevent certain HPV infections, and hence reduces the incidence of cervical cancer and other genital cancers.
But since February this year when the vaccine arrived in the country, the exercise has not commenced because of the controversy surrounding the whole process, yet Zambia is ranked with the highest cervical cancer mortality rate.
Civil society organisations are also sceptical about the vaccine and the inadequate time given for debate over the same vaccine.
“I agree that women movements and other civil society organisations have been quiet about the programme. We were waiting for Government to explain the benefits and side effects of the vaccine before we could start sensitising women and children. Now that we have been assured about its safety, very soon we will go to our constitutions to educate women and girls,” Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) chairperson Beatrice Grillo says.
According to Ms Grillo, it is important that the Ministry of Health prints fliers for NGO`s and other organisations which will be distributed in communities during the sensitisation programme.
It is everyone’s wish that the HPV vaccine can be implemented and sensitisation must be carried out to ensure that communities have adequate information.

Zambia number one in Cervical cancer mortality rate

By DOREEN NAWA

ZAMBIA has the highest number of women dying from cervical cancer and Zambia has highest mortality rate. Australia provides a global model for dramatically preventing cervical cancer.

More women die of cervical cancer in India than anywhere in the world. India along with China, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nigeria represent over 50% of the global burden of cervical cancer deaths.
However, African countries are struggling to deal with cervical cancer too according to the new Cervical Cancer Crisis Card, which ranks countries from across the world based on the number of deaths from cervical cancer and the overall mortality rate. The Crisis Card is available on the Cervical Cancer Free Coalition website and is being launched globally to mark International Mother’s Day on Sunday 12 May.
Cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women every year and 500,000 new cases are reported worldwide. It kills women in all countries; in the US almost 4,000 women die of cervical cancer every year according to the Crisis Card. This entirely preventable disease is the second largest cancer killer of women in low and middle-income countries. The Crisis Card, shows that Zambia has the highest mortality rate for cervical cancer.
“It is shocking that Zambia is ranked number 1 on the Cervical Cancer Crisis Card for mortality rate,” said Zambia’s First Lady Christine Kaseba. “We can change this by making life saving vaccines available that almost entirely prevent the disease. We have the tools and technologies, this mother’s day we must stop talking and act to save women’s lives.”
However, there are reasons for hope too. According to the Crisis Card, Australia has the lowest cervical cancer mortality rate, which is due to the successful rollout of a comprehensive package of HPV vaccines, treatment and prevention. According to the Government of Australia, there has also been a decline in genital warts and cervical abnormalities among young women since the introduction of the HPV vaccine in Australia.
Jennifer Smith, Executive Director of the US based Cervical Cancer Free Coalition said: “Cervical cancer is a preventable cancer, yet we are still seeing so many deaths around the world. At Cervical Cancer Free Coalition we are working towards building networks across the globe to help support our common goal of a world free of cervical cancer. Together we can dramatically reduce this disease through vaccination, screening and education.”
The startling disparities between women in the developed and developing world are personified by cervical cancer. A woman in Zambia is 25 time more likely to die from cervical cancer than a woman in Australia and India has 750 times more deaths than Norway. This level of inequity is also reflected across gender indicators with girls less likely to attend school but more likely to be malnourished and married as a child. Unless life-saving HPV vaccines are prioritised by decision makers this inequity will remain.
Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance said “2013 is the beginning of a dramatic shift in women’s health. A new low price for the HPV vaccine has been negotiated by GAVI for countries eligible for support, opening the door for millions of girls in the world’s poorest countries to be protected against one of the leading cancer killers of women. Ghana will be one of the first African countries to receive HPV vaccines this year with GAVI support.”
Coming in the same month as the global Women Deliver 2013 conference that will have a focus on gender and health equity in terms of the post-2015 framework (the follow framework to the Millennium Development Goals), the report is a timely reminder of the challenges facing women, especially in the low to middle income countries. By prioritising women’s health in the next developmental framework, world leaders would show that they’re serious about challenging inequity and building sustainable societies where universal rights are guaranteed for all.
“By investing in women, nations are investing in their future prosperity. If women are educated, are represented politically and have access to good quality health services, then they and their children are much more likely to stay healthy and contribute positively to their nation,” said Sania Nishtar, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Information Technology, Education and Training in the Government of Pakistan. “Huge progress has been made across the world, but much more can be done to save and improve millions of women’s lives, particularly those from the poorest and most marginalised communities.”
Cervical cancer is a taboo issue in many places as it is linked to sexual reproduction and cancer. Unless women’s groups and civil society join together to lead movements that break through stigma, patriarchy and other societal barriers, we will continue to see large numbers of deaths and high mortality rates. Projections show that by 2030, almost half a million women will die of cervical cancer, with over 98% of these deaths expected to occur in low and middle-income countries. The time to act is now.
The crisis card also calls for:

• The rollout of a comprehensive approach to cervical cancer that includes the aggressive rollout of HPV vaccines that prevent disease and for the scaling up of screening and treatment options.
• Women to be encouraged to visit their health provider for early screening of precancers using either the pap smear (colposcopy), visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and HPV testing to help diagnose precancerous cells.
• Treatment of precancers is advancing, which provides hope to the hundreds of thousands of women who missed out on the vaccine. Health systems need to be strengthened so that all women who need access to treatment can access affordable, quality care.

Utilising official data from official reports by WHO, United Nations, The World Bank, IARC Globocan, this list of 50 countries were chosen to provide a snapshot of the world and reflect geographic, economic and population variations (and where data was available – some countries like Afghanistan have insufficient data).

Africa in economic growth as living standards remain stagnant

By Doreen Nawa

Children with disabilities at Maamba Special School for the disabled share a bed. The partner of sleeping is four per single bed.

Economic growth in Africa is yet to translate into widespread poverty reduction, a new report says.

A new report on Competitiveness in Africa suggests that collaboration between the public and private sectors is critical to shared prosperity and access to capital for entrepreneurs and infrastructure development must also improve.

Africa’s economies have been experiencing annual growth rates well above 5 per cent in the last decade.

There is widespread optimism about the Region’s prospects for steady growth amidst a global economic downturn. However, as The Africa Competitiveness Report 2013 cautions, serious challenges remain.

Overall, high economic growth rates have not translated into better living standards for Africans. World Bank estimates show that 48.5%of sub-Saharan Africa’s population still struggles to survive on less than US$2 a day. 

Job creation has not kept pace with the booming population, which has reached the 1 billion mark or 15 per cent of the world’s total and is projected to increase to 20 per cent by 2030. And with falling labour productivity figures and a manufacturing sector that has remained largely stagnant since the 1970s, many African economies trail the rest of the world in competitiveness.

The Competitiveness Report, launched today May 9 2013 during the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, shows that 14 out of the 20 least competitive economies are in Africa.

To get on a path of sustainable growth and shared prosperity, Africa’s economies need to improve their public institutions and infrastructure, deepen regional integration and provide their citizens with quality education. Private and public sector collaboration is a key element in the drive towards competitiveness.

By instituting the right legal, regulatory and economic frameworks, governments can lay the foundations for a business-friendly environment that allows firms to grow and regional integration to take place. 

More investments in science and innovation, as well as a focus on skills development and training, will give young Africans the skills they need to compete in the global economy - an urgent need in a continent that is home to 200 million people between the ages of 15 to 24.

Better roads, efficiently run ports, reliable electricity and other improvements in infrastructure can make countries more attractive to job-creating investors.  The continent also lags in technological readiness.

ICTs, which enable efficiency and innovation, have become critical tools in today’s economy. Going forward, African economies need to not only invest in ICT infrastructure, but empower citizens with the knowledge they need to put these technologies to productive use.

The private sector also has an important role to play. Businesses can support and advocate for reforms that can enhance competitiveness at the national level, and lend their support to initiatives that facilitate trade beyond national borders. Public-private partnerships can also lead the way in creative approaches to competitiveness.

“As African countries focus on increasing their competitiveness, they are testing new approaches -- such as growth poles -- to spur investment and sustainable growth,” says Gaiv Tata, Director of Finance and Private Sector Development in the World Bank’s Africa Region. “Broadening access and entry into Africa’s regional markets can support job creation.”

Currently, the World Bank is working in countries such as Burkina Faso, Mauritius and Niger to develop Growth Poles, centers of industry that can become magnets for investment in specific sectors.

Financial institutions such as Banks can also expand their services so that entrepreneurs can get the capital they need to grow their businesses. According to the report, access to finance is the biggest concern of business leaders throughout sub-Saharan Africa, who also expressed concern about inadequate infrastructure.

Africa’s decade of economic growth has energized the continent with a sense of optimism about its future.  But as the Africa Competitiveness Report 2013 shows, if the region is to live up to its promise, the public and private sector must work together on reforms that will allow Africa to compete with the rest of the world and create prosperity for its citizens.

Amnesty urges Zambia to release 2 men charged with same-sex sexual conduct

 

Human rights activist Paul Kasonkomona (right) was arrested last month for supporting gay rights on the television

The Zambian authorities must immediately release two young men who have been denied bail after being arrested on charges of having sex “against the order of nature”, Amnesty International  has said.

Police in Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia on Monday arrested Phil Mubiana and James Mwansa, both aged 21.
According to Amnesty, sources said one of the men’s neighbours reported them to the police, resulting in the arrest for alleged same-sex sexual conduct, considered a crime under Zambia’s penal code.
Authorities subjected the men to anal examinations without their consent.
“The arrest of the two men solely for their real or perceived sexual orientation amounts to discrimination and it is in violation of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression, and privacy,' Amnesty said.
'Laws criminalizing homosexuality and gender identity criminalize the legitimate exercise of these human rights, which are protected in treaties ratified by Zambia, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty International’s Zambia researcher, said Wednesday in a statement.
“Anal examinations conducted to ‘prove’ same-sex conduct are scientifically invalid, and furthermore, if they were conducted without the men’s consent, contravene the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment under international law,” Mawanza stated.
“Such examinations are in every case highly invasive, abusive, and profoundly humiliating. In addition, the doctors who conduct these examinations, by doing so forcibly, violate their ethical obligations towards people they examine. Any persons subjected to such abuse should be afforded appropriate remedy and must be protected from further abuse.”
The two men were reportedly first arrested on 25 April and were detained at the Kapiri Mposhi police station before police released them on bail on 2 May.
According to Amnesty International, since being detained again, the men have yet to see a lawyer and have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. They are due to appear before the court on 22 May. 
“Amnesty International considers individuals imprisoned solely for their consensual sexual relationship in private as prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release,” Mawanza added.
The latest arrest is the second recent case of the Zambian authorities carrying out arrests to suppress sexual minorities and their supporters.
Last month in Lusaka, a human rights activist was arrested after he appeared on television supporting gay rights. He was subsequently released on bail.

 

Zambian men deny same sex charge

Two Zambian men have pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in the small central town  of Kapiri Mposhi to a charge of engaging in homosexual acts.

James Mwape and Philip Mubiana, both 22, have been charged with four counts of committing "unnatural" sexual acts.
Zambia is a socially conservative country and homosexual acts carry a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
The government has resisted pressure from campaign groups and Western governments to scrap the law.
Amnesty International called for the immediate release of Mr Mwape and Mr Mubiana, saying it regarded them as prisoners of conscience.
"The arrest of the two men solely for their real or perceived sexual orientation amounts to discrimination and it is in violation of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression, and privacy," said Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty International's Zambia researcher.
'Packed courtroom'
Last month, local human rights activist Paul Kasonkomona was arrested soon after appearing on a live television programme in the capital, Lusaka, calling for homosexuality to be decriminalised.
He was charged with being idle and disorderly in a public place. He denied the charge, and was freed on bail.
Mr Mwape and Mr Mubiana have been arrested twice in the last few days following allegations that they have engaged in homosexual acts.
Police first arrested them over the weekend, apparently after a tip-off, he says.
They were released on bail on Monday after undergoing medical examinations to check if they had engaged in homosexual acts, our reporter says.
Mr Mwape and Mr Mubiana were re-arrested the next day for allegedly having sex on the night of their release, he says.
Amnesty International said it had learned from sources in Zambia that a neighbour had reported the men, who had a poor level of literacy and had not yet met a lawyer.
"Anal examinations conducted to "prove" same-sex conduct are scientifically invalid and, furthermore, if they were conducted without the men's consent, contravene the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment under international law," said Mr Mawanza.
"In addition, the doctors who conduct these examinations, by doing so forcibly, violate their ethical obligations towards people they examine," he added.
The courtroom in Kapiri Mposhi was packed with onlookers as such cases are almost unheard of, our correspondent adds.
The two men were remanded in police custody until their trial starts on 22 May.Kasonkomona, the man in the picture.
On April 7 this year, a human rights activist Paul Kasonkomona was  arrested  and held without a court appearance, despite international protests.
Kasonkomona faces charges of being idle and disorderly in a public place because he appeared on television, calling for the repeal of Zambia’s laws against homosexual acts.
He could be fined and imprisoned for up to a month if he is found guilty.
Under Zambian law, sexual relations between men are punishable by up to 14 years in prison.The man in the picture
Kasonkomona was ordered to pay 5,000 kwacha ($930, £605), BBC reported. His trial is scheduled to start May 15.

ZAMBIA has been ranked at 159 in the Save the Children’s 14th annual State of the World’s Mothers report

Doreen Nawa reports...........

ZAMBIA has been ranked at 159 in the Save the Children’s 14th annual State of the World’s Mothers report, which was released on Tuesday this week.

The report highlights the challenges facing mothers and new-borns worldwide.

And Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the toughest place in the world to be a mother ranked 176 while Finland is the best ranked 1 according to the report.

The report features the Mothers Index, an annual ranking of mothers’ wellbeing in 176 countries around the globe. This year, Zambia is ranked at 159, near the bottom of the list of countries from best to worst.

The Nordic countries sweep the top spots while, for the first time, countries in sub-Saharan Africa take up each of the bottom ten places in the annual list.

The Mothers’ Index, in the State of the World’s Mothers report, is a unique ranking of 176 countries around the globe, showing those that are succeeding and those failing in their support to mothers. 

It assesses mothers’ well-being using indicators of maternal health, child mortality, education and levels of women’s income and political status.

 “By investing in mothers and children, nations are investing in their future prosperity. If women are educated, are represented politically, and have access to good quality maternal and child care, then they and their children are much more likely to survive and thrive and so are the societies they live in. 

“Huge progress has been made across the developing world, but much more can be done to save and improve millions of the poorest mothers and newborns’ lives,” the report read in parts.

The Mothers’ Index reveals the United States ranks 30th, behind countries with much lower incomes, such as Lithuania or Slovenia, owing to weaker performance on measures of maternal health and child-wellbeing.

But the report shows how all countries need to improve the education and health care of disadvantaged mothers.

The Birth Day Risk Index, also contained in the report, compares first-day death rates for babies in 186 countries. . One million babies die each year on the day they enter the world, – or two every minute  making the first day by far the riskiest day of a person’s life in almost every country in the world.

This is despite the low-cost interventions that are available to tackle the high rate of baby deaths on the first day of life.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains by far the most dangerous region to be born with the deaths of newborns actually increasing there in the past few decades. 

Kenya condom advert opposed by Catholic Church

Those behind the campaign say its message is "authentically Catholic"

Kenya's Roman Catholic Church has condemned a Catholic group for a billboard and newspaper advertising campaign promoting condom use.

The US-based Catholics for Choice was planting "negative attitudes" that could destroy the nation's "moral fibre", church leaders said.

Catholics for Choice defend it, saying it could curb the spread of HIV.

Around 1.6 million people out of Kenya's population of 41.6 million are living with HIV, according to the UN.

Catholics are heavily divided over the use of condoms.

A television advert urging married women to use condoms was recently pulled from Kenyan television following an outcry from religious groups.

'Sex is sacred'

Catholics for Choice has said its "condoms4life" campaign shows "an authentically Catholic message".

The group has run advertisements in newspapers and billboards in Kenya showing a smiling couple with the slogan: "Good Catholics Use Condoms".

"We believe in God. We believe that sex is sacred. We believe in caring for each other. We believe in using condoms," the advert reads.

But Cardinal John Njue, chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the church promoted pro-life, not pro-choice.

"Catholics for Choice are not Catholics in the sense of the one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church," he said in a statement.

Cardinal Njue called for the advertisements to be stopped.

"Remember if the moral fibre of any nation is destroyed, then you have destroyed the nation as well," he said.

Catholics for Choice said it launched its campaign after pressure from religious groups forced the Kenyan government to drop an advertisement in March promoting condom use in marriage.

"The campaign is vital because the bishops' recent activities are not representative of Catholic teachings or beliefs. Catholics do support the use of condoms, and they do use them to protect themselves and their partners," campaign co-ordinator Jon O'Brien said in a statement last month.

The Kenyan bishops' anti-condom remarks contradict the view of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI who stated in 2010 that "where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection" condoms can be "a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality", Mr O'Brien said.

Pope Francis was chosen as the head of Catholic Church last month after Pope Benedict stepped down, saying he was too frail to carry on in the job.

The new pope has not commented about the use of condoms since his elevation to the papacy.-BBC

Villagers cope with changing Zambezi River

Works by Sino Hydro a Chinese Group of company doing construction works on the Zambezi River. Sino Hydro won a contract to build two additional units at Lake Kariba.

By DOREEN NAWA
FOR the last 40 years that Tryson Hamaambo, the Sitinkwe village headman has been living in Sitinkwe, a settlement for people who were displaced during Kariba Dam construction, he has never had to walk a long distance to find a waterlogged area for his off-season cultivation.
But today, the story is different; he walks quite a distance from his village to get an area that will sustain his year-round cultivation.
This is because the Zambezi River has never experienced reduced water levels as it has in the last five years.
“Convincing people living along the Zambezi River that a river they have known their whole lives is not the river it once was or could be is not difficult. This is because these changes are so visible because they have caused serious hardships to the community whose lives are dependent on the Zambezi Basin,” headman Sitinkwe says.
According to headman Sitinkwe, the changes mainly driven by developmental projects along the river basin have affected the soil, water levels and vegetation in the area.
The changes to the river have brought great hardships to the people and wildlife on the Zambezi basin, especially in the lower Zambezi valley of Zambia.
“We have had problems here in terms of water levels; the water flow keeps reducing every year. But normally the water levels only increase when the spillway gates are opened,” says Joseph Milandu, a peasant farmer in Sitinkwe village.

Headman Sitiinkwe

“This is not the Zambezi we knew a decade or two ago. I used to do my gardening very close to my home because I had enough dampness for my vegetables. But now I have to follow the water,” he says.
“And when we have floods, we have them in extreme levels.”
For Mr Milandu, flooding is another challenge, “Besides the changing water levels, the other challenge we have here is flooding. Floods come without warning, destroying our property and shelter.”
For 25 years, erratic and mistimed flooding below the Kariba Dam has adversely affected the living standards of thousands of downstream households and decimated one of the most productive and diverse wetland ecosystems in Africa; the Zambezi Delta.
According to Mr Milandu, the diminishing water levels are mostly due to the numerous construction of dams in the area.
“We never had these problems in the first few years after the construction of Kariba Dam about four decades ago.
But because of the high demand in hydroelectricity, the river has seen numerous construction of dams, therefore giving pressure to the river on the distribution of the water resource between wildlife and human beings,” says Mr Milandu.
There are fishmongers too whose lives revolve around the Zambezi River and any reduction in the water levels affects their livelihoods.

Cephas Mweemba

Cephas Mweenda, a fishmonger, has a similar story about how the diminishing water levels on the Zambezi River have affected his usual business.
“A few years ago, I used to fish a few kilometres away from our community and I could go for four hours only and come back with a satisfying catch. But now the situation is different. I go for the whole night to get a desired catch of fish which is too dangerous for me and my family. I get on the river around 07:00 hours in the night and get out at 06:00 hours the following day. The change has been due to an annual drop in the water levels on the Zambezi River. We only have adequate water flow when the flood gates on the Kariba Dam walls are open,” Mr Mweenda says.
And Elizabeth Karonga, the public relations and communications manager for the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) acknowledges that the Zambezi River is no longer the same.
“It is true that the river that we knew three decades ago is not the same and this is because of numerous developments that are taking place along the Zambezi River. These developments could be hydro-power projects, tourism projects, human settlements, and just the impact of climate change,” Ms Karonga says.
The Zambezi is also one of the most heavily dammed rivers in Africa, with about 30 large storage reservoirs holding back its flow.
Four of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams are Kariba, the third largest man-made reservoir in the world, Itezhi-Tezhi, Kafue and Cahora Bassa in neighbouring Mozambique. These dams have stopped most of the river’s annual floods with their huge reservoirs.
The Zambezi is one of Africa’s most magnificent rivers. It is a lifeline for many people and provides a unique habitat for numerous significant species.

An aerial view of Lake Kariba on the Zambezi river

To meet human development needs, the river has been heavily modified, as evidenced by the construction of huge dams in the main stem and some of the river tributaries to meet the energy demand of Southern Africa. This turns out to be the challenge that the people living along this water body are facing.
According to a study, A Risky Climate for Southern African Hydro, the future of the Zambezi Basin exemplifies the challenges faced by decision-makers weighing potential benefits of hydropower developments against the risks of hydrological change.
The Zambezi basin is the largest in southern Africa, with a total drainage area of 1.4 kilometre squares. The basin currently has approximately 5, 000 megawatts of installed hydropower generation capacity, including the massive Kariba (whose reservoir is, by volume, the largest in the world) and Cahora Bassa dams. An additional 13, 000 megawatts of hydropower potential has been identified.
Across the continent, African leaders are under pressure to grow their national economies and to raise the standards of living for their people, which translate into increased demands for energy.
And hydropower is the easiest source as it is being promoted as a source of large-scale energy capacity for the continent.
However, southern Africa, home to the Zambezi River is already 60 per cent dependent on hydropower for its power supply, thereby putting the Zambezi River under pressure.
In the study, the Zambezi is expected to experience drier and more prolonged drought periods and there will be a significant reduction in the amount of water flowing through the river system, affecting all eight countries it passes through.

Zambezi River

The water that feeds the river is expected to decrease by between 26 per cent and 40 per cent in another four decades, the study observed.
The study says because large reservoirs evaporate more water than natural rivers, big dams could worsen local water deficits and reduces water for hydropower.
Already, more than 11 per cent of the Zambezi’s mean annual flow is lost to evaporation from large hydropower dams’ reservoirs. These water losses increase the risk of shortfalls in power generation, and significantly impact downstream ecosystem functions.
Two more dams are underway on the Zambezi. The design for two of the larger dam projects proposed for the Zambezi, Batoka Gorge and Mphanda Nkuwa dams, are based on historical hydrological records and have not been evaluated for the risks associated with reduced mean annual flows and more extreme flood and drought cycles. Sithembiso Mhlanga, Zambezi River Authority’s dam safety senior manager confirmed this.
The Zambezi River Basin is home to about 40 million people who rely on the river for drinking water, fisheries, irrigation, hydropower production, mining and industry, ecosystem maintenance, and other uses.

DR Congo toughest place for mothers - Save the Children

 The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's toughest place to raise children, Save the Children reports.

Finland was named the best place to be a mother, with Sweden and Norway following in second and third places.

The charity compared factors such as maternal health, child mortality, education and income in 176 countries.

In India, over 300,000 babies die within 24 hours of being born, accounting for 29% of all newborn deaths worldwide, the report says.

The 10 bottom-ranked countries were all from sub-Saharan Africa, with one woman in 30 dying from pregnancy-related causes on average and one child in seven dying before his or her fifth birthday.

In DR Congo, war and poverty have left mothers malnourished and unsupported at the most vulnerable time of their lives.

The next worst countries listed were Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic, The Gambia, Nigeria, Chad and Ivory Coast.

The charity says that lack of nutrition is key to high mother and infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with 10-20% of mothers underweight.

In contrast, the results show that Finland is the best place to be a mother, with the risk of death through pregnancy one in 12,200 and Finnish children getting almost 17 years of formal education.

Sweden, Norway, Iceland and The Netherlands were also in the top 10, with the US trailing at 30.

Surprisingly, the report found that the US has the highest death rate in newborns in the industrialised world, with 11,300 babies dying on the day they are born each year.

The charity says this is due in part to the US's large population, as well as the high number of babies born too early. The US has one of the highest preterm birth rates in the world at a rate of one in eight.

The report also found that mothers and babies die in greater numbers in South Asia than in any other region with an estimated 423,000 babies dying on the day they are born each year.

India also has more maternal deaths than in any other country with 56,000 per year.

"In India... economic growth has been impressive but the benefits have been shared unequally," the report says.

Zambian vice-president: 'South Africans are backward'

 

Zambian vice-president Guy Scott in Harare, Zimbabwe. He says that Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe wants to quit. Photograph: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

 

Guy Scott wastes little time on diplomatic language as he lets loose on Africa's biggest economy, race, Mugabe and gay rights.

One of the most colourful men in African politics happens to be white. Guy Scott is the vice-president of Zambia but his race is probably the least exceptional thing about him.
On a recent afternoon in the capital, Lusaka, Scott held court with the kind of candour – and eccentricity – seldom heard from today's media-honed political class. He dismissed South Africans as "backward", insisted that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe wants to quit, and discussed Zambia by way of references to Marlon Brando and the Klingon empire.
The 68-year-old grandfather was just back from Margaret Thatcher's funeral in London when he took the Guardian on an impromptu tour of an emerald auction at the InterContinental Lusaka hotel. Discussing similar auctions in India with a deferential salesman, Scott said: "Jaipur is a terrible dump. It produces nothing but zinc."
As officials fluttered around him, Scott, wearing a dark suit, blue striped shirt and blue and red tie, was informed that the Hollywood actor Mila Kunis recently visited a local mine as an "ambassador" for Zambian emeralds. "How come I didn't see her?" he pondered morosely.
The son of English and Scottish immigrants – his father Alexander was also an MP here – Scott then gave an interview that wasted little time on diplomatic language. Discussing neighbouring Zimbabwe, where Mugabe has ruled for 33 years, he disclosed: "I think if you asked him he'd say it was enough. That's what he said to us a few months ago. I said the way forward in African democracy is the way we do it in Zambia. He said, 'I absolutely agree, I wish it would happen to me.'"
As in lose an election? "Yes, and a smooth handover. I think he meant it, or he was toying with the idea of meaning it. He wanted to hear how it sounded, maybe. Or something."
Scott went on to describe 89-year-old Mugabe's persona. "He's a funny chap. He seems to doze off and then he suddenly laughs at a joke while in the middle of dozing. And very articulate, without a note, without a scrap of anything.
"He's an anglophone. He loves to give lectures on the English language, English weighing systems, English this or that. He was a teacher and so he taught himself all that."
Zambian president Michael Sata – whom Scott refers to as "the boss" – is known to be on friendly terms with Mugabe, who used to work as a teacher in Zambia. "I'm sure any good African nationalist admires Mugabe," the vice-president added. "Racism in Zimbabwe is a serious issue. I was sent to school down there and it was like being in the Hitler Youth: the theories about black inferiority and this kind of stuff.
"It was a whites-only school; they tried to introduce an Indian and he was hounded out at the instigation of the parents of the boys. I think Mugabe is a product of having to contend with that."
But Scott has far less time for South Africa, the continent's biggest economy. "The South Africans are very backward in terms of historical development," he said. "I hate South Africans. That's not a fair thing to say because I like a lot of South Africans but they really think they're the bees' knees and actually they've been the cause of so much trouble in this part of the world.
"I have a suspicion the blacks model themselves on the whites now that they're in power. 'Don't you know who we are, man?'"
Scott scoffed at the inclusion of South Africa in the Brics grouping of emerging economies. "They think in Brics that the 's' actually stands for South Africa whereas it stands for Africa. Nobody would want to go in for a partnership with Brazil, China, India and South Africa for Christ's sake.
"I dislike South Africa for the same reason that Latin Americans dislike the United States, I think. It's just too big and too unsubtle."
Warming to his theme, Scott let rip at South African President Jacob Zuma, comparing him with the last apartheid leader, FW de Klerk. "He's very like De Klerk. He tells us, 'You just leave Zimbabwe to me.' Excuse me, who the hell liberated you anyway, was it not us? I mean, I quite like him, he seems a rather genial character but I pity him his advisers."
Fewer than 40,000 of Zambia's 13 million-strong population are white. Scott, a wildly popular MP for Lusaka, notes that the country has more than 80 tribes and several major language groups. "That doesn't add up to a bipolar formula for the scrap" along racial lines.
He became vice-president in 2011 but his presence baffles some African leaders at high-level meetings. "I think they regard me as a sort of mascot, a good luck charm for African politics. Michael's very clever, he knows people tend to regard him as a racist because he talks rough.
"He's usually tried it out on me already. He says things like, 'What would you be if you weren't white?' I said, 'The president?' That shut him up."
But opposition parties have accused the Sata-Scott leadership of orchestrating violence, banning rallies, throwing dissenters in jail and dragging Zambia towards authoritarianism. Scott sarcastically predicted that opponents would complain to the Commonwealth, then the UN and, if still unsuccessful, the Klingon empire.
"It's a wheeze, it's an attempt I suppose based on some of the stuff that took place in Russia to denounce a government rather than eject it," he said. "But I really am very hard-pressed to find a corner I can sit in and believe that we're looking at a one-party state again."
He added: "It doesn't help that people don't know where Zambia is and they don't know what Zambia is like. If you were to write a story about America getting out of hand and going to a one-party state, everybody knows so much about the United States that they won't believe you.
"If you say, 'Somewhere over there in the African hinterland, not far from where Marlon Brando had a house surrounded by stakes with heads of his enemies on, not far from the Congo, there's a place where there's a one-party state …' Well, there probably is, probably several. And so it's a lot easier for that because there's no built-in balance."
One recent incident in which Zambia's civil liberties credentials took a battering, however, was the arrest of a human rights activist who had appeared on live TV calling for homosexuality to be decriminalised.
Scott admitted: "The problem with this guy going on television was that we had to do something because if we had done absolutely nothing we would have got a bollocking from all these evangelical churches plus damn idiots. On the other hand, we didn't want to give him a particularly hard ride."
As newspapers and TV shows whipped up homophobia, Scott set out priorities that offer little consolation to anyone who is gay. "I think you've got so much cleaning up to do of killings and defilements and this and that, it's almost self-indulgent to think, 'Well, why don't we sit here and talk about gay rights?'
"It's indulgent politics that assumes yes, we don't actually have 7 million unemployed people. Realistically, I think even an average gay, if you gave him a list of all the concerns Zambia had, would not necessarily put gay rights on top."
He went on: "There's tonnes of gay joints in this town. Well, not tonnes but they're there, well known. It's entirely the same phenonemon you get anywhere else. It's live and let live. Stirring up and making it worse, that is the biggest danger. Let sleeping dogs lie is an easier policy."
If Sata were to die in office, Scott would make history as the first democratic white leader in Africa, albeit as a three-month caretaker until an election was held. Seeking the presidency full-time would be "a bridge too far" for qualifying rules because his parents were born outside the country.
Scott, whose wife is from Greenwich, south-east London, has health worries of his own, including a right hand that trembles slightly. "It's possibly Parkinson's, I haven't had it diagnosed yet." He is also concerned about possible cancer under one eye. "In my age group, there is on average six things wrong with you at any one time."
Scott departed, stepping into a lift and flanked by security guards, making a quip about how many emeralds he could conceal in his hand. www.guardian.co.uk