Malawi
Malawi, with an estimated adult prevalence rate of 14.1% (2006), is one of the most affected countries in Southern Africa. Life expectancy has dropped from 57.4 years in 1990 to 41 years in 2006 according to UNAIDS. One of the greatest challenges facing Malawi is a human resource crisis, which has created a lack of capacity to deliver health services, especially in rural areas where primary health care is severely compromised.
With support from the international donor community, Malawi launched a five year plan in 1999 to break the silence about AIDS and to intensify efforts to confront HIV/AIDS throughout the country. In February 2004, Malawi's President, Bakili Muluzi, launched a new national programme to tackle the challenges of HIV/AIDS. He urged Malawians to break the silence around HIV/AIDS and spoke openly about his own brother who died of AIDS. Malawi has successfully mobilised resources from a range of organisations, including the Global Fund and the World Bank. The challenge will be to ensure that resources can be effectively used to further mainstream HIV/AIDS across all sectors, that effective partnerships are developed to implement a multisectoral response to the epidemic and that capacity is available to effectively scale up services and programmes at all levels: national, municipal and community levels.
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Total Population: 12,884,000 (2006)
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The Malawi Chapter of the Alliance launched in November 2003, and a public declaration was issued and endorsed by 40 local authorities. Preceding the launch, the Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) hosted a one-day sensitisation workshop for municipal officials from the 44 local authorities on HIV/AIDS, the role of local government and the Alliance/AMICAALL. The City of Blantyre incorporated launch activities as part of their HIV/AIDS city consultation programme, with support from: UNDP, UN-Habitat, Urban Management Programme, Municipal Development Partnership, SAfAIDS and UN APP. In 2005, AMICAALL Malawi prepared a one-year action plan aimed at enhancing local government capacity to respond to HIV in five municipalities. A National Technical Advisor/AMICAALL Coordinator was also recruited through funding from the World Bank/IDF grant. In addition, the AMICAALL Malawi programme organised, in collaboration with the Alliance Secretariat, a workshop with the Lilongwe Municipality in August 2005. The workshop involved officials from all municipal departments and enabled city officials to review ongoing efforts to respond to HIV, explore constraints and identify how to more effectively mainstream HIV at the local government level. Follow-up actions were identified, including the preparation of a strategic plan to address HIV and AIDS in the Lilongwe Municipality and integrate HIV-related activities into city services. In 2006 and 2007 AMICAALL Malawi facilitated the implementation of municipal HIV workplace programmes, community outreach conversations programmes, in collaboration with UNDP, along with the development of municipal HIV action plans and information, education and communication materials. AMICAALL Malawi has mobilised funding for programme activities from the National AIDS Commission, UN Habitat and UNDP.
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AMICAALL Malawi activities are being implemented with support from the National AIDS Commission, UNDP, UN Habitat, the World Bank, Council of NGOs in Malawi and others. |
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