By Françios Kwatani

Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) says lack of adequate skills and commitment in conducting in-depth research on harmful cultural practices continues to affect children in the country.

YONECO’s Executive Director MacBain Mkandawire said this on Thursday as Malawi joined the international community in commemorating the International Day of the African Child, under the theme: “Eliminating harmful practices affecting children: progress on policy & practice since 2013”.

Mkandawire has since asked government through the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare to deploy officers into various districts in the country who will be conducting in-depth research on harmful cultural practices affecting children to ensure elimination of the practices.

According to Mkandawire, escalating cases of harmful cultural practices are beyond poverty and others border on unavailability of actual data facts on the matter.

He said the country conducts researches that are not in-depth in nature which do not reflect and bring to light the actual issues the communities face.

“It is high time the government adequately invest in issues of data collection through research to enhance evidence based programming in the country,” Mkandawire said.