Malawi’s hard-won progress in key health indicators could stall before reaching global targets unless urgent investment and systemic reforms are made, stakeholders have warned.
Speaking in Lilongwe yesterday during World Health Day commemoration, World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Charles Kuria Njuguna said the country is making gains, but not fast enough to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Maternal mortality, for instance, has dropped significantly over the past decade, from over 440 deaths per 100 000 live births to about 225, but remains more than three times higher than the global target of 70.
“We are coming down steadily, but the question is the pace. Are we likely to reach where we want to be by 2030?” Njuguna said.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation Principal Secretary for Administration Ben Chisamile said government is responding by anchoring policy decisions in science, in line with this year’s World Health Day theme.
He said the Health Sector Strategic Plan III (2023-30) prioritises research and data-driven decision-making, supported by institutions such as the Public Health Institute of Malawi.
Meanwhile, Health and Rights Education Programme executive director Maziko Matemba called for digital surveillance systems such as integrated disease surveillance and response.
Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe said while science has significantly improved healthcare, from vaccines to oxygen systems, limited funding continues to undermine progress.
World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, marks the anniversary of the founding of the WHO in 1948 and highlights priority global health issues.
