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Malawi News

Malawi Launches National Immunization Strategy During African Vaccination Week

Lilongwe – The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Health, officially launched the National Immunization Strategy (NIS) 2025–2030, a bold initiative designed to increase vaccine coverage, combat preventable diseases, and support the country’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The launch coincides with African Vaccination Week, celebrated from April 24 to 30 under the theme: “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible.”

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Awareness campaign on prevention of Mpox in Lilongwe communities: a response activit...

On 16 April 2025, Malawi confirmed its first case of Mpox clade 1b and the Ministry of Health officially declared Mpox an outbreak on 17 April 2025. The first detected case involved a 30-year-old male who presented with symptoms consistent with Mpox in Lilongwe, notably, with no recent travel out of the country, suggesting possible local transmission. Within a week of the first case, three more cases were confirmed from Lilongwe and Mangochi.

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Embracing routine immunization

ZOMBA – For the next two weeks, Edna Jairosi and her infant daughter Yanko (20 months) will camp together along the shores of Lake Chilwa in Malawi. They will join hundreds of other men and women who rely on this huge body of water to put food on the table.

Edna, a fish trader, earns her living from Lake Chilwa. However, the remote location lacks access to essential health and social services, leaving these communities vulnerable and at risk for various diseases and health challenges.

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Safeguarding against health risks in Malawi in wake of Cyclone Chido

Lilongwe – George Jammuh, officer in-charge at Mganja health centre in Dedza district in southern Malawi clearly recalls the day in mid-December 2024 when Cyclone Chido made landfall. “The day of the cyclone was a very scary day for our staff and patients,” he says. “The nurse on duty hid in a corner as she watched the roof blow off. Everything changed from that time because of the extensive damage to the facility, all services were halted.”

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Malawi Assesses Its Needs for Effective Implementation of the WHO Framework Conventi...

Malawi has recognized the importance of tobacco control in national health strategies and development plans. The National Cancer Control Strategic Plan 2019-2029 includes the objective to reduce the use of and exposure to tobacco and tobacco products. The National Action Plan for the Prevention and Management of NCDs in Malawi 2022 identifies tobacco use as a leading NCD risk factor. The National Health Financing Strategy 2023-2030 supports using tobacco taxes as an innovative health financing mechanism.

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Malawi introduce the VigiMobile AEFI reporting tool

Malawi has become the sixth country to introduce the VigiMobile Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) reporting tool. Over the past years, Malawi has made tremendous strides in improving its vaccine safety surveillance system. This has been shown in its ability to meet the minimum requirement of reporting 1 serious AEFI per million population and the ability to report over 1600 AEFI between January and November 2024.

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Breaking Gender barriers in Immunization

Faced by a series of public health emergencies, Wild Polio Virus Outbreak, the protracted Cholera Outbreak, COVID-19 and Post Flood Recovery, Malawi’s health care delivery including immunization was gravely impacted in 2022. Coverage of the Third dose of the DPT vaccine was at 86% the lowest since 2018. The burden of zero- dosed and under immunized populations also increased rising to from 3% in 2019 to 6% in 2022 with widened equity gaps.

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