Ireland ex-president hails Joyce Banda: ‘Malawi is blessed to have her as leader’

Former president of Ireland Mary Robinson,has said that Malawi is a blessed country to have Mrs Joyce Banda as its President,saying she is going to steer the nation into prosperity.

Robinson, the first female president of Ireland from 1990 to1997,  was speaking during a special dinner her organization – the Global Leaders Council (GLC) – organized in the administrative Capital of Lilongwe in honor of President Banda.

“We decided to hold our annual Council General assembly to celebrate your achievement as one of our own and Malawians are so blessed people to have a leader like you,” said Robinson who also chairs the GLC

Robinson told the gathering that the Council had a very successful meeting at the Kamuzu Palace where they held their annual general Assembly and thanked President Banda for opening  the doors of the palace to the organization.

Dinner time: President Banda and her guests- Global leaders council delegatrion

In her speech, President Banda thanked the GLC delegation for standing with her when she was victimized by the Mutharika administration.

“My involvement with the Global Leaders Council paved a way for me to see a bigger world when many doors were closed,” said President Banda.

The Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health is composed of eighteen sitting and former heads of state, high-level policymakers and other leaders who serve as champions to build political leadership for increased financial and technical support for reproductive health.

Through these leaders, the Council is revitalizing global political commitment to reproductive health with increased awareness and visibility of the importance of reproductive health globally, as well as more effective donor resources and policies dedicated to reproductive health.

GLC has since rated Malawi as a star in safe motherhood initiatives despite some challenges in maternal mortality and family planning..

Robinson said although Malawi’s birth rate and maternal mortality rate are still high, the country is among nations that have made progress in reproductive and maternal health globally.

The  council has leaders such as former Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Annie Lennox,  UK based singer- and former South African deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

One of the State House Press Officers,  Brian Banda,  said Robinson and her team are in Malawi a three day visit  at the invitation of President Banda  and  to support  her Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health and Safe Motherhood and to promote the need for increased funding from donor nations for reproductive health services for Malawi and other countries in the developing world.

They  will visit Ntcheu and Balaka to launch the Social Cash Transfer project being funded by the government of Ireland and to appreciate the Safe motherhood programmes being initiated by President Banda.

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