Almost every week somebody from the office has gone to a funeral. And usually is not the funeral of a grandparent, but the funeral of a brother, wife, son, etc. Life expectancy in Malawi is less than 40 years, mainly due to HIV/AIDS related diseases or malaria. There are many cases of children with malnutrition problems too. Is difficult to understand since treatment at the hospital is free, even antiretrovirals (anti HIV drugs). Generally, education seems to be the main reason.
Many people, specially in the rural areas, is scared of going to hospital. They beleive in traditional medicine, where bad spirits are responsible of diseases. In some cases people will go to hospital but it will be too late to do anything, and in some cases their relatives would think they have actually died because they went to hospital. My colleagues working at the hospital are horrified of the lack of emotions of the local nurses or doctors. I suppose that one gets used to it, but it is sad to think that it can happen.
There are many places where they sell coffins around the city, sometimes in the same shop where they sell furniture, because death is part of life in Malawi.
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