Health Policy

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Browsing Health Policy by Author "Malawi Government: National AIDS Commission"

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    Malawi National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS 2020-2025
    (Malawi Government, 2020-01-01) Malawi Government: National AIDS Commission
    As Malawi strives to meet the aspirations of the Agenda 2063 through the development of its own longterm development plan, the National Transformation Framework 2063; my Government recognizes that HIV is one of the major development risks that has to be mitigated. Therefore, through this National Strategic Plan (NSP) the country is committed to ensure that all necessary HIV and AIDS control measures are implemented so that we reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS and eliminate HIV as a public health threat by 2030 in line with the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS. We have favourable legal, policy and political environment to achieve this goal. My Government enacted the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Management) Act number 9 of 2018 in order to create the conductive legal environment to prevent and manage HIV and AIDS; and HIV and AIDS prevention and management is one of the key priorities in the 2017-2022 Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III. The development of NSP could not have happened at a more opportune time than this: Malawi has just successfully made significant achievements towards achieving the global 90:90:90 Fast-Track Targets set out in the predecessor NSP; there are a lot of new products and new evidence on strategies that can be used for the elimination of AIDS as a public health threat; and there has never been more commitment to end AIDS both nationally and globally. This NSP comes at a time when there are some challenges. Despite achievements on the treatment targets, Malawi has lagged in its response to some key and vulnerable populations and still has unacceptably high numbers of new infections and AIDS related deaths. Malawi has not taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to it by the more advanced tools to combat HIV and AIDS. As such, this NSP calls for critical game changers that are cost-effective and targeted to achieve tangible impact on prevention, treatment and care services for HIV and AIDS and related infections. It requires building blocks at all levels of the health system from the national, local authority to community levels to be able to win and sustain the fight. This is the hallmark of this NSP. Using available evidence, program implementation experience and knowledge, it builds up on the emphasis of and achievement of scale that characterized the previous NSP, to focus on the delivery of targeted, high impact interventions and leaving no-one behind; while building a resilient and sustainable health system. This NSP demonstrates the commitment of the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health, National AIDS Commission (NAC) and all partners and stakeholders in the fight against HIV and AIDS. It is a useful resource and provides guidance on the priorities of the government, the strategies recommended and the resources required to implement them. It will help to coordinate and consolidate all the efforts by all players in the HIV and AIDS sector for greater impact.
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    National HIV/AIDS Policy
    (Malawi Government, 2003-10-01) Malawi Government: National AIDS Commission
    HIV/AIDS is by far the greatest development threat facing our nation today. Since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in Malawi, in 1985, more than half a million Malawians have died of AIDS, and daily many more are infected. The epidemic has affected all sectors of our society, resulting in substantial loss of national productivity and a steep rise in the burden on individuals, households and communities. The increased impact of the epidemic continues to reduce the economic gains of the past, and to spread suffering and grief among people living with HIV/AIDS and affected households. Malawi has come a long way in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. There is today widespread awareness of HIV/AIDS and how to prevent infection. Institutional frameworks and modalities have been put in place for an effective multi-sectoral response. All sectors have been mobilised in the fight, including the public sector, civil society, faith-based organisations, community groups and the private sector. These groups are playing their part in assisting orphans, caring for the sick, and combatting stigma and discrimination. Programme strategies have evolved over time to address issues of treatment and impact mitigation. At the same time, political commitment has strengthened, resulting in successful resource mobilisation. But the progress has been slow. Continuing with "business as usual" in addressing the challenges of the epidemic has meant watching scores of Malawians become infected or die every day. Every Malawian and development partner in this fight has a duty to adopt innovative ideas and to revitalise efforts to make a difference. This policy specifically calls for renewed action on the ground, and gives Malawi the opportunity to embark on a new path in this noble fight. The guidelines provided in this policy were not developed in a vacuum, but draw upon the experience and lessons of the past 15 years in combatting the epidemic. The policy balances carefully the issues of rights and responsibilities and public health considerations, and emphasises the continuum from prevention through care to treatment. The challenge now, especially among all those directly involved in programming, is to reorganise thinking and reorient efforts in this new direction. With less than 3% of adult Malawians currently knowing their HIV/AIDS serostatus, it is difficult to ensure early access to care and treatment or to plan for the future. Only a handful of Malawians in a few urban centers have access to AIDS treatment, and people living positively with HIV/AIDS continue to confront stigma and discrimination in their daily lives. The epidemic is increasingly developing a woman's face in Malawi, accelerated by inequitable power relations between men and women, young girls in particular. There is also an urgent need to strengthen human capacity across all domains of work. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the excellent work that has been done by the National AIDS Commission and its partners to make this National HIV/AIDS Policy possible. I am well aware that it has been a long journey, but the pleasing outcome has been our own 'home-grown' national policy on HIV/AIDS. It is my humble duty to personally invite all Malawian individuals, practitioners and development partners to make bold, responsible efforts to implement this robust policy in the face of this national emergency.