Partners In Health ‘Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo Project’ reach out to over 6000 NCD patients in Neno district
The introduction of the country’s leading non-profit health organization, Partners In Health (PIH) project called Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo in the rural district of Neno which is being implemented in the area with support through UNICEF, World Diabetic Program and Hensley Grant has brought a remarkable impact by improving the health status of vulnerable people suffering from different Non- Communicable Diseases (NCD) which had a rising number in the previous years.
Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (POH), the PIH’s Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo project which was launched in Malawi in 2007 aims at building local capacity, strengthening public health care systems, and deliver high quality health care by addressing the root causes of illness, training service providers, advancing research as well as advocating for global policy change.
Through the implementation of clinical programs, community health and social support initiatives, monitoring and evaluation, data management systems and infrastructure improvements for a total of 14 health facilities in Neno, community members in the district are now able to afford a smile on their faces having found a trusted partner who is providing the necessary support to all the NCD patients who have challenges such as; hypertension, chronic heart and kidney diseases which are common in the area.
Initiatives such as construction of new houses and maintenance of client houses, food, monthly monetary, education support, transport reimbursement for clients based in far and hard to reach areas to access PEN-Plus care is one great powerful program which is playing a huge part in ensuring that NCD patients are well covered.
The country’s PIH Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo, Medical Director, Dr. Christopher Banda says the impact of NCDs has been a worrisome issue in Neno as well as the country at large but through organization of different awareness programs which were emphasized on spreading information to do with NDCs to the community members specifically in Neno district and through the initiative, over 6000 clients have been reached out within Neno area.
According to Banda, apart from supporting NCDs patients with medical care, the project also focuses on social component element where patients are provided with food, transport, building of houses and other basic needs resources.
“The implementation of the project is indeed bringing improvement to patients who are under NCD program because of the great coordination we have with the government through MOH who are the primary providers of health care in the district and at national level while our role as PIH is to look at where does the government require a bit of assistance, nevertheless resources are not very adequate and we are looking for more partners to help us reach out to many people,” said Banda.
Rehabilitation Officer and District NCD Coordinator, Haulesi Zaniku highlighted that the challenges of NCDs are currently a global problem and that Neno alone is experiencing a big number of patients but through the existing collaboration between PIH and MOH under Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo, there is a great improvement as patients are able to access special health care support through Integration Care Model (ICM) whereby patients suffering from several diseases are treated or taken care of under one roof using the same stuff a development which he said is helping to ease challenges of shortages of medical personnel.
However, Zaniku disclosed that the major challenges they are facing in the district is that majority of the NCD patients comes from poor families who can not afford basic needs which becomes a serious challenge because when they are suffering from a disease which needs special diet it brings delays in terms of recovery and that the other problem is tracing of patients who comes from districts which are outside Neno.
One of the beneficiaries of Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo program, Richard Mavuto of Chidakwani Village T/A Chekucheku in the district who felt sick from stroke in 2020 narrated that during the first days he was failing to manage speaking, walking and unable to sit down as he used to do in the past because part of his body such as legs, hands and the back stopped functioning forcing him to lose balance.
But Mavuto said after being taken to Neno hospital where he was treated, things started to improve after spending a month while receiving treatment from the doctors.
“It was one of the difficult times in my life to find myself in such situation and I almost lost hope that I will get back to normal and life was meaningless to me.
“It took the effort from the doctors who worked very hard providing support until my situation improved. When I got discharged from the hospital I was given a mobile phone which was meant to ease communication whenever the health personnel from the hospital through Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo want to follow up my situation and they also supported me with money to use for transport and whenever they invite me to go for check up or they visit me at home, they always support me and I’m very thankful to PIH and the government because I’m now able to do some of the works that I used to do before I got sick,” said Bamusi.
Another beneficiary of Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo, Flora Livisoni, of Chifenthe Village T/A Dambe in the district got sick in 2018 from her left leg which she said she started feeling a strange pain and after being taken to the hospital doctors discovered that the cause of the pain was one of her fingers which they said the best solution was for it to be amputated.
The 60 year-old Livisoni said, “I spent a week while admitted in the hospital after my finger was amputated from the theatre. But after some days the doctors discovered high blood pressure and high sugar levels in me and for this problem they told me that my situation will need my leg to be amputated to avoid affecting other parts of my body and the process was done and I was given drugs as well as sugar test gadget for free which I use until now to monitor sugar levels. Currently, everything is ok now because I’m able to do some works like cooking, washing clothes, plates, moping but the only work that I’m failing to do is farming but all in all I really thank Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo for introducing this project because it has saved my life,”.
The World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) is supporting the NCDs project which is a national program with a total of $2,885,712 and the project is expected to be concluded in August 2027.