Based on an increasing body of evidence pointing at the positive impact that social assistance has had in Malawi, the region and beyond, government is encouraged to continue investing in and supporting the expansion and comprehensiveness of social protection programmes in both rural and urban areas,... ensuring they effectively target and adequately address needs and vulnerabilities across the lifecycle, in line with the Malawi National Social Support Programme (MNSSP II) and Vision 2063. In addition, Government and Development Partners are encouraged to further the integration between social protection, the humanitarian and the disaster risk management sectors in response to shocks and stresses, through the roll out of a fully shock-sensitive social protection system.
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Hypertension is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and disability globally. In low- and middle-income countries hypertension has a major social impact, increasing the disease burden and costs for national health systems. The present call to action aims to stimulate all A...frican countries to adopt several solutions to achieve better hypertension management. The following 3 goals should be achieved in Africa by 2030: (1) 80% of adults with high blood pressure in Africa are diagnosed; (2) 80% of diagnosed hypertensives, that is, 64% of all hypertensives, are treated; and (3) 80% of treated hypertensive patients are controlled. To achieve these aims, we call on individuals and organizations from government, private sector, health care, and civil society in Africa and indeed on all Africans to undertake a few specific high priority actions. The aim is to improve the detection, diagnosis, management, and control of hypertension, now considered to be the leading preventable killer in Africa.
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Asthma is a common breathing condition. Chances are that at least one in every fifth person will have it. People with asthma might have a cough, or wheeze and a feeling of tightness in their chests. A group of researchers from the United Kingdom teamed up with seven African countries to learn about ...the challenges that children living with asthma in Africa face. One part of their research focuses on air pollution specifically. This research indicates ways to deal with asthma triggers and help more people understand asthma and enjoy a normal active life.
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As Uganda builds back from the COVID-19 shock, the Ugandan government is strengthening its commitment to a more gender-inclusive and sustainable economy. This report supports these efforts by describing the gendered impacts of COVID-19 and provides recommendations for Ugandan policy makers and World... Bank Group operations to ensure women’s participation in an inclusive and sustainable recovery. It presents gender-disaggregated data from three main sources: high-frequency phone surveys that track the impacts of the COVID-19 shock: one of Ugandan nationals conducted in June and one of refugees conducted in November 2020; interviews with 28 representatives of government institutions, development partners, and women’s organizations in Kampala and in rural areas; and a review of relevant policy and gray literature on climate change, the green economy, and women’s economic empowerment.
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The Country Cooperation Strategy is the World Health Organization (WHO)’s reference for country work guiding planning and resource allocation through alignment with national health priorities and harmonization with other development partners. It clarifies roles and functions of WHO in supporting t...he national strategic plan for health through the Sector-Wide Approach and Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II. The Country Cooperation Strategy is based on a systematic assessment of the recent national achievements, emerging health needs,
challenges, government policies and expectations. An evaluation of the previous CCS was conducted and jointly discussed with the Ministry of Health as well as other key stakeholders. This process led to the identification of the, achievements, challenges and shortfalls of the previous CCS. Through this process the areas where WHO needed to focus on were also identified. The CCS development has also been done in parallel with the formulation of the new Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) to ensure that there is a linkage between the two.
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PEPFAR Malawi’s Country Operational Plan 2022 (COP22) embodies joint priorities from national and subnational dialogues building on the 2020-2025 National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS. The interagency team has developed a person-centered, district-tailored and Malawi Population-Based HIV Impact Ass...essment (MPHIA)-informed strategy through extensive engagement with Government of Malawi (GoM) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to sustain HIV epidemic control. At the end of COP21, PEPFAR Malawi was commended for contributing to reaching epidemic control in strong collaboration with GoM and stakeholders including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). This includes enrollment of 88% of recipients of care on three or more months of antiretroviral treatment (ART), better outcomes for Malawian children through remarkable efforts in Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programming and progress made towards reaching men with more intentional and focused programming.
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Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a critical strategy to care for preterm and low birth weight infants in resource-limited settings. Despite evidence of its effectiveness and low cost, coverage has remained low, largely due to sociocultural barriers. We aimed to better understand social norms and commun...ity perceptions of preterm infants and KMC (facility-initiated and community-continued) in Malawi, a country with a high preterm birth rate, to inform a pilot social and behavior change program.
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Dolutegravir HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) data from Africa remain sparse. We reviewed HIVDR results of Malawians on
dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (November 2020– September 2021). Of 6462 eligible clients, 33 samples were submitted to South Africa, 27 were sequenced successfully, and 8 ...(30%) had dolutegravir HIVDR. Malawi urgently requires adequate HIVDR testing capacity.
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In Malawi, the national Social Cash Transfer Programme provides unconditional monthly cash payments to the most vulnerable and ultra-poor households.
The Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP)—locally known in Chichewa as Mtukula Pakhomo—is a non-conditional critical safety net for the most vulnerable, ultra-poor Malawians. By providing monthly cash transfers to over 1.3 million people annually, this programme helps ultra-poor families to meet... their basic needs and build resilience, with the ultimate goal of building human capital and moving them out of poverty.
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There has been a rapid expansion of cash-based, social protection programmes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in recent years as Governments increasingly realise the enormous benefits cash transfers offer (World Bank, 2018). In fact, as an investment in human capital and inclusive economic development, ...social protection is arguably one of the most efficient uses of Government resources and “one of the smartest investments that policymakers can support” (Cummins, 2021).
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On 16 February 2022, Malawi received confirmation of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) from an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case in Lilongwe.
An interdisciplinary approach to address global health challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, loss of biodiversity, human migration has been framed by the One Health approach. This approach is promoted at global level by the Tripartite of the World Health Organisation, the World A...nimal Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, recently joint by the United National Environment Program to form the Quadripartite. The German government through its Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development supports this approach with its One Health strategy and investment in several technical cooperation projects.
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The article discusses the challenges and opportunities for lung health in Africa in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the strain on healthcare systems, the increase in chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD, and the limited resources for managing these conditions. The pa...ndemic has exacerbated issues like delayed diagnosis and treatment, while also impacting child lung health and increasing risks for those with tuberculosis. It emphasizes the importance of leveraging global partnerships and strategies to improve healthcare infrastructure and response in Africa.
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The Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS (DNHA) in Ministry of Health and Population is grateful to all stakeholders who contributed to the development of the Nutrition Education Communication Strategy II. The DNHA acknowledges the financial and technical support from the World Bank and USAID throu...gh the Nutrition, HIV and AIDS project and Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project (FANTA III)/FHI 360, respectively. The participation of several partners including Irish Aid, the European Union (EU), Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Civil Society Organisation Nutrition Alliance (CSONA), Concern Worldwide and the Clinton Health Access Initiative(CHAI).
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Men are underrepresented in HIV testing services throughout sub-Saharan Africa. HIV testing is critical to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals, as it is the first entry point to HIV care. In Malawi, an estimated 14% of HIV positive men are undiagnosed, while only 6% of HIV positive women remain undiag...nosed. Improved HIV testing among men is key to reaching UNAIDS goals, and to curbing HIV epidemics in the region.
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Malawi is a small and beautiful country in south-central Africa. It is divided into three administrative regions: south, central and north. The regions are further subdivided into 28 districts. The Southern Region is the most densely populated, while the Northern Region is the least populated.
UNICEF Malawi and its partners are prioritizing renewable energy solutions for children and communities across the country to access clean and affordable electricity, with a focus on hard-to-reach, rural communities unable to access the national electricity grid.
Globally, there is increased advocacy for community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes. Like other low and middle-income countries (LMICs), Tanzania officially established the Community Health Fund (CHF) in 2001 for rural areas; and Tiba Kwa Kadi (TIKA) for urban population since 2009. This study... investigated the implementation of TIKA scheme in urban districts of Tanzania.
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