LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Global Fund’s recipient ActionAid Malawi (AAM) on Tuesdays, August 20, 2024, handed over 12 motorcycles worth MK156 million to its partners for strengthening local structures to effectively respond to future
pandemics in Malawi including COVID-19.
The Malawi Ministry of Health – Program Implementation Unit (PIU) is the Principal Recipient (PR) of the Global Fund C19RM Grant whilst AAM is the Sub-Recipient (SR) with three Sub-Sub Recipients (SSRs) namely the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV (MANET+), Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM) and the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Lilongwe Catholic Health Commission (LL CHC).
AAM’s local partners which received the motorbikes including CRECCOM, Catholic Health Commission, and MANET+ are implementing the project in 14 districts which include Nsanje, Phalombe, Zomba, Mwanza, Mchinji, Dowa, Ntchisi, Nkhotakota, Salima, Rumphi, Mzimba-North, and Likoma.
In her remarks after handing over the motorcycles, AAM Executive Director Yandula Chipeta expects easy mobility amongst health assistants in implementing the COVID-19 Response grant funded by the Global Fund.
Chipeta says, “The interventions aim to empower communities, particularly people who use health services, to take the lead in identifying and routinely monitoring the issues that matter to them (Community Led Monitoring – CLM) around HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), Malaria, and disaster and pandemic preparedness and response. These include evidence generation, education and capacity building, engagement, and advocacy.
“The project is targeting the general population (Health service users) with a particular focus on PLHIV and their support groups, key and other vulnerable populations (Female Sex Workers – FSWs and Men Sleeping with Men – MSMs), local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Youth and Women, and communities surrounding the health facilities, governance structures at different levels (Health Centre Management Committees – HCMCs”.
She added, “Currently, Malawi is working on a Wave 3 grant (2024-2025) that focuses on strengthening health and community systems. Unlike the earlier waves that concentrated on COVID-19’s effects on TB, HIV, and malaria, Wave 3 emphasizes community systems strengthening, which includes two primary areas: community-led monitoring and advocacy, along with capacity building of community structures to prepare for future pandemics”.
Chipeta appeals, “May I request that we use these motorcycles for their intended purpose to effectively serve the targeted communities and improve our health and community systems.
“Additionally, we are procuring other CLM enablers for the project, including iPads for online data collection and bicycles for volunteers to assist in contact tracing. All these items will be distributed across the targeted districts”.
After receiving the donation, MANET+ Executive Director Lawrence Khonyongwa lauded AAM for the timely support saying will ease mobility to community-led assistants in monitoring projects.
“The terrain for communities’ distances to reach intended beneficiaries are far much 100 kilometers one way which has been difficult to reach communities. This means mobility challenges will be eased, ” lauds Khonyongwa.
The Malawi government is implementing a COVID-19 Response grant funded by the Global Fund.
The first two waves (2020-2021 and 2022-2023) aimed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on HIV, TB, and malaria, strengthen the national COVID-19 response, and improve health and community systems urgently.