Malawi
Country Overview
Malawi is a densely-populated Southern African country of about 14.3 million people. The majority of the population lives in rural areas and suffers from widespread poverty – about 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. All rural Malawians are at risk for at least one of the seven most common NTDs prevalent in the country, and many are already infected with more than one. The population’s concentration around the shores of Lake Malawi contributes to the particularly high prevalence of schistosomiasis, which afflicts an estimated 40-50% of Malawians and, in some districts, more than 60% of 9-10 year-old children.
Since 2005, significant economic improvement has been achieved under the current administration, and the government has demonstrated improved financial discipline. A three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility loan worth $56 million has been signed with the International Monetary Fund, fuelling the flow of crucial aid from other international donors. However, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, inadequate educational facilities and the spread of HIV/AIDS remain major problems. As a result, NTDs need to compete for in-country resources.
Current Effort
Among other ongoing efforts, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education are operating jointly on a school health project to address the disproportionate toll of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) on school-aged children. Additionally the interruption of lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmission is within reach. National control programs for individual NTDs conduct treatment campaigns on a regular basis. Mass drug administration of onchocerciasis, for instance, currently reaches 1.5 million people in the seven districts hyper-endemic for the disease. In addition, the capability has now been developed to finalize and execute an integrated NTD control program (including leprosy and African sleeping sickness).
Malawi’s strong commitment to mitigating the devastating effects of malaria can also serve as a foundation for integrated malaria and NTD control programs that will make a significant impact on the public’s health. In addition, current research has shown that decreasing the prevalence of schistosomiasis infections in girls and women can help reduce their risk of contracting HIV.
Remaining Gap
Malawi needs international support in order to leverage ongoing efforts to control and eliminate NTDs. Drug donations are being directed to Malawi, but the need is great. Funding of approximately $4.6 million over five years would enable more effective collaboration between the individual disease programs to further integrate NTD control efforts and scale up treatment coverage to more than 9 million people in the country. To support NTD control efforts in Malawi, please click here.
