ActionAid Malawi pushes for community-led health interventions, says ‘affected people know best’

ActionAid Malawi has called for long-term investment in community-led health interventions, arguing that lasting change in the health sector will only come when affected communities are given the power to lead solutions to their own problems.

“Affected communities know their problems best and must be given an opportunity to lead in solving them. As duty bearers, we cannot know the true value of the service we render unless told by the service user. When we do this, we will move from charity to partnership,” said a senior official from the organisation.

The message was delivered during a presentation at the Global Fund Country Team meeting held in Lilongwe today, where ActionAid Malawi shared results from its implementation of the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C-19RM) “Health and Community Systems Strengthening” program.

The program is funded by The Global Fund through the Ministry of Health’s Program Implementation Unit.

Presenting on behalf of ActionAid Malawi, C-19RM Program Manager Kondwani Mshali highlighted a series of achievements across multiple impact areas, crediting the gains to the innovative Community Led Monitoring (CLM) approach.

CLM places data collection, feedback, and accountability directly in the hands of community members who use health services. Trained community monitors track drug stockouts, health worker attitudes, waiting times, and availability of services, then engage duty bearers to fix gaps.

Mshali said the approach has ensured both ownership and sustainability of interventions aimed at strengthening systems in health and other related sectors.

“CLM ensures that communities are not just beneficiaries but active partners. That’s how we build systems that last beyond project funding cycles,” Mshali told the meeting.

ActionAid Malawi stressed that the shift from top-down programming to community-led models is critical for Malawi to achieve universal health coverage and stronger pandemic preparedness.

“We need more and long-term investment in community-led health interventions,” the organisation said. “Without the voice of the service user, duty bearers risk designing services that look good on paper but fail on the ground.”

ActionAid Malawi is implementing C-19RM with Sub-Sub Recipients including the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (MANET+), Lilongwe Catholic Health Commission, and Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM).

The partners have been rolling out CLM in districts where health system gaps were most exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on accountability, service delivery, and community feedback mechanisms.

The Global Fund Country Team meeting brought together government, civil society, and development partners to review progress and set priorities for health systems strengthening in Malawi.

 

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