Lunguzi hails media giant NPL for safe motherhood promotion in Malawi

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health Julian Lunguzi on Saturday hailed Malawi newspaper giant Nation Publications Limited’s (NPL) for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project whose aim is to raise funds for the purchase of medical supplies and equipment for maternity wings in the country.

Lunguzi hailed NPL when she joined the company’s chief executive officer Mbumba Banda to present assorted non-medical supplies to mothers and their newborns Mangochi District Hospital’s maternity wing.

“This is commendable gesture from NPL and indeed this is essential corporate social responsibility,” said Lunguzi.

She challenged politicians, businesspeople, corporate partners and other well-wishers to emulate NPL and its partners in coming up with innovative ways of making money for the health sector so that expectant women stop dying needlessly.

The donation was presented after an annual Mother’s Day Fun Run which raised a historic K31.5 million for Mangochi District Hospital and its satellite health facilities.

According to NPL, the Fun Run has since its inception in 2005 rose about K100 million for 13 health facilities across the country.

NPL boss Mbumba Banda said the newspaper company has been hosting Mother’s Day Fun Run “to honour Malawi’s mothers through life-saving action.”

This year’s exercise was a two-kilometre run from Ayiche Wosope (which is close to a mini-forest as we approach Mangochi Boma) to the district commissioner’s (DC) office.

Donning white Mother’s Day Fun Run T-shirts with a slogan “Promoting Safe Motherhood”, NPL employees, strategic project partners and other well-wishers braved the sweltering heat of Mangochi to raise funds for mothers and their babies in the lakeshore district.

Press Trust trustee Ben Chidyaonga pledged the conglomerate’s continued support to the Mother’s fun run “as long as it does not change its objectives.”