LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-One on the country’s civil society health grouping under the banner Non State Actors Health Sector Investment has commended President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government for increasing Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) budget from MK400 million to MK600milion of which will enhance the maternity health sector.
Leader of the grouping, Maziko Matenda said this on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 during Health Financing Awareness Conference in the capital Lilongwe on issues of government fiscal space.
Matemba said overal increase in the SRH budget line indicates a positive trend towards priotizing SRH in the Health sector.
He said they are aware of government intentions to start implementation of the autonomy at Zomba central Hospital which is a positive development.
Matemba observes that domestic funding towards SRH is low however actual budget was MK14 million.
He therefore called upon government to improve coordination with them during budget consultation and share road map for the central hospital autonomy to promote decentralization.
On his part, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Ted Sitimawina said they are strengthening dialogue among key stakeholders under the leadership of the government to improve results.
Sitimawina said government is also aware of the funding gaps that exist in the sexual reproductive health and family planning owing to the tight fiscal space that the country continues to experience.
But he said government will consider to allocate funds to the sub-sector to offset the diminishing donor financing.
