Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance Malawi has called for sustained investment in essential services to improve access to treatment for non-communicable diseases nationwide.
The alliance made the call in a statement yesterday ahead of the Global Week for Action on NCDs 2026 (GW4A NCD), running from Monday to Friday next week.
NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, account for approximately 40 percent of deaths in Malawi.
The body has also asked for continued and accelerated action to ensure that WHO-PEN and PEN-Plus services are adequately resourced, functional and accessible, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
WHO-PEN and PEN-Plus are strategies from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to manage NCDs like diabetes and heart problems in low-resource countries.
“This requires continued investment in healthcare workers, essential medicines, diagnostics, screening, referral and health information systems, as well as stronger action to address NCDs risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.
“People living with NCDs must also be meaningfully involved in shaping, implementing and monitoring policies and programmes that affect their lives,” reads the statement signed by NCD chairperson Maud Mwakasungula.
It has also demanded sustained and accelerated action to ensure WHO-PEN and PEN-Plus services remain adequately resourced and accessible in the country.
The alliance also highlighted the integration of WHO-PEN services into 300 primary healthcare centres across Malawi, where 15 clinics provide specialised care for people living with severe and complex NCDs.
Participants to the Global Week for Action, which is being held under the theme; ‘Leadership in Focus: From Commitments to Delivery’, will endorse and sign the Malawi GW4A NCD Charter 2026 that outlines priority actions and commitments from stakeholders.
The charter will later be presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Health to advocate stronger political leadership and accountability.
Public health advocate Maziko Matemba said the Global Week for Action is a crucial platform that shifts the focus from passive political promises to active healthcare delivery.
“By demanding stronger implementation and sustainable financing, the event pushes for tangible improvements in local healthcare structures.
“For patients, this means bridging global commitments down to grassroots realities aiming for more consistent access to affordable, life-saving medicines, reliable diagnostic tools and comprehensive care networks that put their lived experiences at the centre of national health planning,” he said.
