Malawi Affirms Commitment to Public Health Financing
Malawi is among several African countries that have expressed their commitment to enhancing public health sector financing in order to improve healthcare systems. This pledge was made at the third International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) in Lusaka, Zambia, which commenced on Monday.
During the conference, nations were urged to collaborate in addressing potential and emerging health threats that are impacting the continent. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, highlighted the need for African countries to be proactive and prepared in the face of pandemics like Covid-19. He emphasized the importance of domestic resource mobilization and strengthening partnerships with international organizations and other nations.
Kaseya also stressed the significance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in investing towards critical interventions and finding solutions to the health challenges that African countries are currently confronting. We need to facilitate dialogue between countries and communities to ensure that everyone has access to necessary healthcare facilities, he stated.
Mavuto Thomas, the Chief Health Promotion Officer at Malawi’s Ministry of Health, reaffirmed Malawi’s commitment to bridging gaps in the health sector and working in partnership with other stakeholders. Thomas highlighted the government’s efforts to allocate adequate resources for the provision of quality healthcare services, particularly noting that most health services in Malawi are free of charge.
In 2001, Malawi, along with other African Union member states, signed the Abuja Declaration, pledging to allocate a minimum of 15% of their national budgets each year to improving healthcare systems.
The CPHIA conference is the second-largest health-related gathering in Africa, bringing together over 5,000 delegates from the health and other sectors across the continent and beyond.
By reaffirming their commitment to public health financing, Malawi and other African countries aim to strengthen their healthcare systems and improve access to quality healthcare for their citizens. Through collaboration and increased investment, these nations strive to address existing health challenges and effectively respond to future threats to public health.
