UNICEF says Malawi making substantial improvements in health sector
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Malawi has made substantial improvements in the health sector, especially in reducing child mortality and combating HIV and AIDS, and malaria despite having limited resources.
This was said by UNICEF Country Representative, Johannes Wedenig, on Tuesday during the launch of the Health Sector Strategic Plan II and the National Community Health Strategy in Lilongwe.
“It is impressive that considering the challenges of funding faced by government, 15 percent of the national budget is allocated to the health sector as a way of keeping up with the Abuja declaration as well as demonstrating an understanding that health should be seen as an investment,” he expressed.
Widenig observed that the two strategies would help to achieve a stronger health system in the next five years towards universal health coverage an observation which Director of Planning and Policy in the Ministry of Health, Doreen Magetsi Ali, agreed with.
“Our strategic objective is to build a sufficient, equitably distributed, well trained community health workforce as well as strengthening the community engagement in and ownership community health among others,” Ali said.
She added that the Ministry of health in collaboration with over 500 stakeholders across its programmes has developed a comprehensive community health assessment in promoting the community health.
Magetsi further explained that the MOH would ensure sufficient policy support and funding for community health and that activities are implemented and coordinated at all levels.
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