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Malawi

Our Work in Country

As one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi was ranked 172 out of 189 countries on the UNDP 2019 Human Development Index. Impoverished communities with few resources often have limited access to quality health care and this is especially true for many of the 82% of Malawians that live in rural areas.

To help address these concerns, Americares is partnering with African Parks and the Government of Malawi to provide quality health care in remote and underserved communities. By investing in health center infrastructure, improving access to life saving medicines and supplies, providing training and capacity building to health care workers, and supporting community health outreach and engagement, Americares is establishing a network of thriving health centers that improve health outcomes and build community resilience.

Working in Malawi since 2003.

Our Work with our Partners

Americares is working with wildlife conservation organization, African Parks, to strengthen the capacity of local health centers and provide quality health care to communities living in and around Malawi’s protected areas.

Officially launched in 2019, the partnership focuses on improving health infrastructure and services at four local health centers that serve a catchment area of around 1.3 million people. These four health centers are located near two of Malawi’s most important conservation areas – Liwonde National Park and the Majete Game Reserve– both of which are managed by African Parks on behalf of the Malawian Government.

African Parks supports conservation and community development activities that protect fragile ecosystems and reduce community involvement in poaching. Americares implements activities that improve health service quality and access through the thriving local health center model that invests in local health centers and responds to relevant health concerns. As our programs adapt to address the current shocks to the health system due to COVID-19, the cross-sector partnership enables us to extend our reach to the most vulnerable populations and enables both organizations to have greater impact in the health of the community and ecosystem at large.

Photo: Americares Project Manager for Majete area interacts with construction workers at Chapananga Health Centre in southern Malawi where Americares has constructed a new secure water pump, water pump house, and painted the outpatient center (Photo byThoko Chikondi)

Health Snapshot in a Pandemic*

As COVID-19 threatens worldwide, African countries, including Malawi, face numerous challenges to fight this global pandemic. Most health facilities in Malawi including district and central hospitals have acute shortages of COVID-19 related Personal Protective Equipment for health care workers. In addition, Malawi has only 13 hospital beds per 10,000 people, a fraction of what might be needed should cases spread rapidly.

Even as COVID presents an immediate threat, HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of premature death and the second leading cause of disability, while malnutrition and poor water and sanitation also contribute to adverse health outcomes in the country.

While the Malawi government has made significant strides in fighting the pandemic, Americares Malawi team is working with them, and African Parks, to help strengthen health facilities and protect health care workers. Americares is supporting key water and sanitation infrastructure investments at the health centers, partnering with the government to support health worker training on COVID-19 clinical case management in three districts, and providing crucial hand washing infrastructure and outreach in over 50 rural communities.

Key Health Statistics:

Total expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP: 11.38%
As of 2018, one million Malawians were living with HIV/AIDs
As of 2018 37% of children under five were stunted
439 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births

*Health snapshot statistics from WHO and World Bank

Photos by Thoko Chikondi

If you would like more information on our work in Malawi, please contact AfricaHealth@americares.org.

Recent Aid in Country

$45,000

worth of PPE distributed to local health centers and hospitals

71

handwashing stations distributed to health centers, markets and village clinics

246

health workers trained in COVID-19 Clinical Case Management

Provide medicine & supplies to save the lives of people in desperate need in Malawi and around the world.

children playing in a village

Health Makes Everything Possible

Our Impact with Your Giving Dollar

Generous donors make all our achievements possible. We are able to respond to more disasters, expand our health programs and save more lives because of the individuals, foundations and corporations that trust Americares to improve the lives of people in the United States and around the world.

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More than 98% of our resources support health programs.
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