World Vision lobbies for increased funding towards malaria programmes
World Vision Malawi on Tuesday night engaged members of Parliament (MPs) from various committees to lobby for increased budgetary allocation to the malaria sector.
The organization believes that if increased, it would enable it to roll out Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) to other districts as the intervention is only done in three districts of Mangochi, Balaka and Nkhata Bay.
Director of Programmes at World Vision, Charles Chimombo, said Tuesday after an engagement dinner in Lilongwe that funding was the main issue to take IRS intervention to other districts.
Malaria and other diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/Aids are wholly funded by the Global Fund.
“Government should consider rolling out the intervention beyond these districts so that it comes out as a national program,” he said.
Chimombo said since its inception in 2019, IRS has been an effective way to reduce malaria.
According to him, previously Mangochi alone could register 380 cases per 1000 people, but currently the numbers have decreased to 183 cases per every 1000 people.
The drop is twice as much due to the intervention, Chimombo said.
He said, “If this could be trickled down to other districts, the country could be on its way to eradicate malaria in 2030.”
In his remarks, Deputy Minister of Health, Enock Phale, said looking at the benefits IRS has in the districts where it is implemented, it is necessary that the government can consider rolling out to other districts.
“We need to make some consultations to source the finances as the intervention needs a lot of resources,” he said.
Phale said his ministry will consult the Treasury as well as development partners to see the way forward.
Chairperson for Parliamentary committee on health, Mathews Ngwale, said they will work together with other committees in parliament to push for the increased allocation which is currently minimal.
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