With support from the international donor community, Malawi launched a five year plan 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 mobilized resources from a range of organizations, 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.

The Malawi Chapter of the Alliance was launched in November 2003, and a public declaration 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 an 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.

The AMICAALL Malawi programme is currently suspended. However, the return of local government elections in the near future should provide the opportunity to re-start the programme and dialogue is already underway.