Activist Maziko Matemba appointed Malawi first ever community health ambassador
Ministry of Health and Population has appointed health rights activist Maziko Matemba a community health ambassador who will help in championing the realisation of quality primary health care at community level.
Minister of Health and Population, Jappie Mhango inducted Mtameba into the role in Lilongwe, sayng he will champions health services delivery in the country.
Mhango said Matemba will be reporting and recommending best practices to the Ministry of Health and Population and be a link between government and communities across the country.
Matemba will hold the position for two years and according to the minister, he is expected to be a voice for the ministry to the donor community being someone who is credible due to his independence from the civil service.
“A majority of the population lives in the rural areas, therefore, to enhance quality delivery of health services, we need a person who has passion for health issues; a person who will go in the communities to take people’s grievances and bring them to us at the ministry,” he said.
On his part, Matemba, a renowned health rights campaigner, said he was humbled to be unveiled as the ambassador on a day when the world was commemorating Universal Coverage Day 2019.
He said he had a great understanding of what community health facilities demand because access to health care needs serious investments with good and smart approaches for impact.
“I will champion the realisation of primary health care initiatives at community level by engaging relevant stakeholders at that level as one way of ensuring the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” he said.
Matemba further said he would be coordinating resource mobilisation to ensure that “health services in the rural areas are better.”
He strongly believes that more pafrtners can be brought on board in the health sector.
UNICEF Representative to Malawi, Rudolf Schwenk said the phenomenon of having a community health ambassador in the country is seemingly new but it is a stride in the right direction.
Community Health Ambassadors are selected due to their achievements and passion for health issues. Matemba is not a new face in the health sector, he is the Executive Director of Health Rights Activists and is an award winning Community and Primary Health Care Champion.
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Those who sit with this guy in many technical meetings for health know that he knows nothing about community health. The qualification he has is “blind support for DPP”. He patronises Lady meetings and swears by moon that he is for for the regime. We have capable and hands on people in the Directorate of Community Health who he knows he cant tell them anything. He is a spy for the Ministry.
Do we really need more people to champion for equal delivery of health care services? this is a total waste of resources.
is he a government employee? if so then forget it! If this position was soooooo important how come we never had the position before?
Mulakho?