Global Fund and Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), have supported the purchasing of equipment worth US$2.5 million (approximately K3 billion) for molecular sequencing to Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHES) in order to ease expenses encountered from exportation and importation of lab samples and results. 

Speaking to Malawi News Agency (MANA) when Ministry of Health Officials visited KUHES recently, Executive Dean in the School of Life Sciences and Allied Health Professions, Associate Professor Arox Kamng’ona was excited for the help in setting up a sequencing facility.

He said for the first time in history KUHES, as an institution, will have a high throughput sequencing platform. 

“This means that instead of sending samples abroad for sequencing, we will be doing it in-house and this means a lot in public healthcare delivery.

“Initially, it took us longer to send samples abroad and we would wait for a long time to get the results. This will help us save time as we will not have to wait for samples from outside,” he explained.

Programme Manager for Global Fund, Doreen Sanje said they have been supporting Malawi government since 2003 and will continue to do so.

“We are still committed to supporting Malawi. What is important is to ensure that resources given should be used satisfactorily. That is why we organised a tour for Ministry of Health management to appreciate the work being done,” she explained.

Chief of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr Queen Dube expressed gratitude for what Global Fund is doing.

She said for Ministry of Health to fulfill its mandate of providing quality healthcare to all Malawians, it needs equipment and good infrastructure.

 “With funding from Global Fund we will have the capacity to provide better healthcare to Malawians. As such, we expect Malawians to benefit from this initiative because it is in all regions,” Dube explained.

Global Fund is supporting Malawi Government, through Ministry of Health, with a number of projects such as health posts across the country in order to ensure provision of safe and quality health services to the people of Malawi.