Minister of Health and Sanitation Madalitso Baloyi has hailed Ntcheu District Health Office for making strides in reducing maternal and infant deaths despite challenges facing the district’s health sector.
The minister said this on Tuesday when she toured Ntcheu District Hospital and met council officials and other duty-bearers to assess health service delivery in the district.
During the meeting, Ntcheu district director of health and sanitation services Innocent Mhango said the district, over the past three years, reduced its institutional maternal mortality ratio from 122 to 36 per 100 000 live births.
“The same period has also seen us register a decline in the institutional neonatal death rate from 12.5 to 9.9 per 100 000 live births. In-patient death rate has also reduced within the same period, from 9.9 to 6.4 per 1 000,” he said.
Mhango attributed the progress to, among other factors, effective staff allocation, improved sanitation, strict adherence to sterilisation routines in line with the Malawi Health Sector Plan 2023-2030 and the installation of a solar electricity backup system to mitigate persistent power outages.
Baloyi said while challenges remained, it was important to recognise and encourage healthcare workers for their efforts.
She said: “I have to say that I am impressed with what I have witnessed here.
I am not surprised that the facility was recognised as a three-star facility by the Ministry of Health in the Stepwise Quality of Care Programme in 2025.”
Baloyi also said the facility’s performance contributed to its recognition as the best facility in neonatal care in the Central West Zone.
The minister’s visit comes against the backdrop of a letter from Ntcheu Central legislator Paul Ng’oma (independent) which raised concerns over public health service delivery in the district.
The parliamentarian also expressed concerns over reported challenges in referring patients to higher-level facilities, poor water and sanitation and high health-worker vacancy rates, among others.
