The Governments of the United States and Malawi have signed a five-year Health plan outlining comprehensive co-investment to save lives, strengthen Malawi’s infectious disease prevention and response capabilities, and make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
According to a press release from the US Embassy in Malawi, through the five year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the US intends to provide up to K1.6 trillion ($792 million equivalent) to Malawi’s health care system.
Among others, it aims to support Malawi’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases, and bolster disease surveillance and outbreak response.
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It further indicates that Malawi is expected to increase its overall annual health spending by $143 million during the life span of the agreement.
“The five-year MOU is designed to facilitate full Malawian ownership of health services through domestic funding of its health workforce and essential commodities. By signing this MOU, Malawi is working with the United States over the next five years to strengthen its financial leadership and self-sustain its health sector”. reads the press release
The two countries health cooperation has historically had enormously positive results owing to decades of generous assistance from the Americans as Malawi has made significant progress in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“In particular, Malawi is one of a handful of countries that have reached the 95-95-95 goals for epidemic control of HIV/AIDS.
“The U.S.-Malawi partnership under the new five-year MOU builds on existing progress, moves away from parallel NGO delivery systems, and invests in cutting-edge health solutions, fostering greater Malawian national ownership over its health-delivery systems and frontline workers”.
The US believes this deal puts Malawi on a jointly decided five-year path to a more durable, responsive, and self-reliant health system, empowering Malawi to increase ownership of its HIV/AIDS response.