Malawi, others urged to boost agriculture, health
Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has said Malawi and other member States are struggling to embrace modern farming technologies, universal health coverage (UHC) and gender equality, effectively slowing down socio-economic development.
Sadc Parliamentary Forum secretary general Boemo Mmandu Sekgoma said this on Wednesday in her virtual keynote address to the Regional Dialogue for Non-State Actors on the Sadc Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
The plan seeks to deepen integration in the region and accelerate poverty eradication and the attainment of other economic and non-economic development goals.
Sekgoma said the archaic farming methods have made agriculture unattractive.
She said: “It is clear that generally in Sadc we are far from the targets set out in the ISDP.
“For instance, agriculture techniques are very outdated and rudimentary in most areas of southern Africa with little attractiveness to the youth.”
UHC is a World Health Organisation concept that seeks to ensure that people have access to the health care they need without suffering financial hardship.
In his remarks, Malawi Parliament Health Committee chairperson Mathews Ngwale said the UHC was a new concept which needs time to be implemented.
Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe echoed Ngwale’s remarks, adding that there was a need for further investment from other non-State actors such as the corporate sector if health systems are to be strengthened.
The RISDP pillars focus on infrastructure development, social and human capital development and other cross-cutting issues, including gender, youth, environment and climate change, and disaster risk management.
The dialogue was hosted by the Sadc Parliamentary Forum in collaboration with Partnership for Social Accountability Alliance.
