About the Public Health Institute of Malawi
Providing national leadership in disease surveillance, prevention, outbreak response, and research to safeguard the health and well-being of all Malawians.
Our Foundation and Role
The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) was formally established by the Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Health (MoH), via a circular in 2012 as a vital Center of Excellence in public health. Following preparatory work that began in 2007, PHIM has since become the central home for all public health activities in the nation.
Our core mandate is to provide collaborative leadership in ensuring a resilient health system, particularly in an era governed by the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), for which PHIM is designated as the National IHR Focal Point (NFP). This designation empowers PHIM to facilitate critical coordination, communication, and reporting with regional and global stakeholders to ensure public health emergency preparedness and response.
Our Three-Fold Mandate
- Surveillance & Coordination: Lead and coordinate national, multi-disciplinary, and multi-sectoral surveillance efforts.
- Prevention & Control: Prevent and control diseases and public health threats that endanger the population.
- Evidence Generation: Generate robust evidence to inform public health policy, practice, and effective decision-making.
Our Core Technical Divisions
PHIM operates through three core functional components, each providing specialized expertise crucial to Malawi’s public health security.
Epidemiology and Surveillance
This division is responsible for leading national, multi-sectoral surveillance activities, early detection of outbreaks, and coordinating the rapid public health response. It manages key functions like the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) and oversees crucial workforce development programs such as the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP).
Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL)
PHRL provides high-quality, specialized diagnostic and laboratory services to support surveillance and outbreak response. This includes advanced capabilities like the WHO-designated HIV Drug Resistance Genotyping Laboratory, which has drastically improved testing turnaround times and cost-efficiency in-country. The PHRL also oversees essential Proficiency Testing (PT) programs.
Research and Development (R&D)
The R&D unit champions biomedical research in response to national health priorities. Its mandate includes identifying priority research areas, strengthening ethical review boards, and facilitating knowledge translation through platforms like the Malawi Knowledge Translation Platform, ensuring research findings directly inform policy.
National Impact and Partnerships
Multi-Sectoral Collaboration
Effective public health requires a unified national approach. PHIM collaborates extensively with multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral partners across the Malawian government and international bodies, ensuring holistic health security in line with the One Health approach.
Key Government Partners: Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, Defense, Agriculture, Water and Sanitation, Education, Finance, and Justice.
International Partners: Key collaborations with WHO, CDC, IANPHI, and NIPH have been instrumental in establishing and strengthening PHIM’s capabilities, especially in workforce and laboratory systems.
Highlights of Achievement
- Workforce Development: Over 305 health workers trained through 22 Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) cohorts, strengthening grassroots response capacity.
- Genomic Sovereignty: Established the WHO/HIV ResNet-designated HIV Drug Resistance Genotyping Laboratory, reducing the cost per sample from approximately $240 to $20.
- Outbreak Response: Played a central role in the national response to recent threats including COVID-19, Cholera, and Mpox, facilitating timely detection and control measures.
- Quality Assurance: Produces 13 different types of Proficiency Test panels locally (including HIV, TB, Syphilis), supporting quality assurance for laboratories across Malawi.
Our Leadership
The Public Health Institute of Malawi is guided by a dedicated team of experts committed to excellence in public health service and research.
Dr. Matthew Kagoli
Director for PHIM
Dr. Flora Dimba
Deputy Director for Surveillance and Epidemiology
Mr. Joseph Bitilinyu Bango
Deputy Director for the National Public Health Laboratory
Chikondi Chimbatata
Acting Deputy Director for the National Public Health Research Division