UNICEF Executive Board to have 2013 field visit in Malawi
A delegation of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will conduct a five-day tour of UNICEF supported projects and programs in Malawi from 8 -12 April, 2013, the Malawi Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN) in New York has announced.
A statement released by the Malawi mission office said while in the country, the visiting UNICEF Board Members will hold a series of meetings with Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Gender, Economic Planning and development, and Finance.
The delegation will also meet civil society and community based organization leaders and eventually visit Salima, Mchinji, Kasungu and Mzuzu.
“During the visit, the delegation will have a first-hand appreciation of the benefits of the social cash transfer programme; interact with the ultra-poor households; meet with orphans and vulnerable children; and medical practitioners,” said the statement.
The board members will also appreciate the role of social welfare officers and members of Malawi Police Services and they will be briefed on measures which are in use to deal with sexual and gender-based violence by appropriate authorities.
Besides the programmes outlined above, the visiting UNICEF board will visit other UNICEF-supported programmes in Malawi such as the use of Rapid Short Message Service (SMS) technology which improves the collection and transmission of data for growth monitoring, nutrition surveillance, early infant diagnosis, and antenatal and postnatal service utilization.
Malawi’s Ambassador to the UN, Charles Msosa has described the field visit as timely and a clear statement of fact that Malawi was making tremendous progress in the areas of nutrition, social protection, safe motherhood and child health.
“The Malawi Government applauds the 2013 UNICEF annual visit to Malawi because it will highlight the country’s success story,” said Msosa.
The UNICEF officials will also visit Community Management of Acute Malnutrition Centres, according to the statement.
