By Esther Banda
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-About 900 children with disabilities in Lilongwe and Mzimba North are set to benefit from free orthopaedic surgical care.
This is under a new three-year project being implemented by St John of God Hospitaller Services in partnership with the Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery (LION).
The “Enhancing Access to Orthopaedic Surgical Care for Children with Disabilities” project, funded by Christian Blind Mission International (CBM) of Germany at a cost of €186,000 (about K372.2 million), targets children aged between 0 and 18 years.
The project will target 550 children in Lilongwe and 350 in Mzimba North. In Lilongwe, activities will cover Traditional Authorities Malili, M’bwatalika, Chiseka and Chimutu, while in Mzimba North the project will cover Traditional Authorities Mpherembe, Mtwalo and Chindi.
Speaking in Lilongwe after officials from St John of God Hospital and LION met Area Development Committee (ADC) members in T/As Malili and M’bwatalika to sensitise communities about the project, St John of God Project Officer Given Mutambo said the two institutions would play complementary roles.
Mutambo said St John of God Hospital would identify and screen children through mobile clinics in the targeted communities before referring them to LION for specialised treatment and surgery.
“All the children will access these services free of charge.”
He said the project is expected to begin assessments in November 2026, with operations scheduled to start at LION in December 2026.
Mutambo, however, urged parents and guardians to take responsibility for transporting their children to the designated clinics and treatment centres, saying their involvement would help promote ownership and sustainability of the project.
“Orthopaedic surgeries are very expensive in Malawi. One surgery can cost between K5 million and K8 million, so this is a big opportunity for parents to have their children treated for free,” said Mutambo.
He further urged parents not to regard the initiative as a project belonging only to St John of God Hospital and LION, but as a community programme intended to improve the lives of children with disabilities.
At LION, Assistant Project Officer Elizabeth Chisale said the institution would provide the required surgical services as well as orthotic and prosthetic devices for children whose conditions does not require surgery.
Chisale urged parents to bring forward children who could benefit from the programme, saying early access to appropriate treatment could significantly improve their mobility and quality of life.
“We have the equipment and professionals ready to provide the necessary services to these children,” said Chisale.
Lighton Tchanazo Banda, a 56-year-old representative of people with disabilities from Zapita Village Development Committee in T/A Malili, welcomed the initiative, saying it had restored hope among families who could not afford specialised treatment.
Banda said his 15-year-old son, who is currently in Standard 6 and whom he described as very brilliant, is among the children expected to benefit from the programme.
He went on to say that he had long wished to have his son operated on but had been unable to afford the cost, expressing gratitude that the operation would now be provided free of charge.
Banda also appealed to parents to stop doubting medical advice and take children with disabilities to health facilities when referred, saying the project presented an opportunity that families should embrace wholeheartedly.
Zione Banda, Secretary General for M’bwatalika ADC and a representative from Mbeta VDC, described the project as a “game changer” for communities that have struggled to access specialised care for children with disabilities.
She urged parents to make every effort to provide transport for their children when referred, saying communities should not miss an opportunity to access services that would otherwise cost millions of kwacha.
She thanked St John of God Hospital and LION for bringing the initiative to their communities and appealed for similar interventions to reach other areas facing the same challenges.
St John of God Hospitaller Services has been working in Malawi since 1994 implementing mental health and disability related programs.
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