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First Lady calls for more domestic funding for TB

First Lady Monica Chakwera has appealed for increased domestic financial support in the fight against tuberculosis (TB).

The call follows an executive order by United States President Donald Trump on the temporary suspension of foreign aid to several countries, including Malawi.

Chakwera during the engagement

Speaking on Friday at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe where she attended a high-level multisectoral engagement on TB, she emphasized the urgent need for sustainable local funding towards TB prevention and treatment services.

Said Chakwera: “Collectively, we need to act with urgency and commitment, investing in resources that can help end TB come 2030. This will require the private sector and other stakeholders domestically mobilise funds.”

The First Lady also highlighted progress by Malawi in the fight against TB under the Leprosy and Tuberculosis programme, including the integration of HIV and Aids with TB treatment which she said has been crucial.

“Reduced mortality rates which is currently at 54 percent among HIV-negative individuals and 60 percent HIV-positive individuals and high treatment success rates are signs we are doing well in the fight against TB. We need to intensify efforts to completely end the disease,” she said.

Despite the strides, Chakwera, who also serves as a champion for TB and Leprosy in Malawi, said the fight is far from over and that it requires concerted efforts from various sectors to eliminate the disease’s burden.

She observed that the fight against TB cannot be won by the health sector alone.

Chakwera urged players in different sectors, including high risk industries such as mining and tobacco to work together.

She also urged the youth, women and other stakeholders to be in the forefront in the fight against the disease which affects 12 percent of the Malawi population, mainly children and adolescents.

In his remarks, Deputy Minister of Health Noah Chimpeni said the ministry is working on increasing domestic resource mobilisation as one way of addressing the heavy reliance on external funding which accounts to 64 percent of the total health expenditures.

“The emphasis on self-reliance is key to long-term sustainability of health care, as such there is need to improve efficiency in health care spending and look at areas, including costly referrals outside Malawi,” he said.

Coalition of Women Living with HIV in Malawi executive director Edna Tembo said the recent suspension of US foreign aid will significantly impacted efforts in the fight against T) and other diseases.

She, therefore, called on government and the private sector to respond collectively to the changes, which have caused a major setback.

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