Antimicrobial resistance was in February this year recognized as a public health risk that needs to be given priority. This was discussed and agreed upon during a key stakeholders meeting that took place at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe.

The meeting attracted people from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, non-governmental organization including the World Health Organization (WHO) which is driving the campaign globally, the academia, pharmaceuticals and members of the public.

One of the key action points was the development of a National AMR Strategy in line with the Global Action Plan that would inform the activities and interventions for AMR.

The strategy is currently in place waiting on approval from the responsible authorities. As a sign of commitment, Malawi will this year join the world in commemorating Awareness week from 12 to 19 November.

The PHIM Strategic Plan which was developed in 2012 will expire in December 2017. Following which, the Ministry of Health (MoH) with support from I-TECH, International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) and other stakeholders has initiated the process of reviewing the strategic plan in order to make necessary updates that will reflect changes that occurred in the health and related sectors in the last 5 years.

Malawi is among the few countries in the world that have developed their national strategic plan.

The purpose of the review is to assess the functionality and effectiveness of the current plan through time, availability of data as well as engaging national expertise and collaboration of partners, through a participatory approach to help understand the level to which the plan has met its goals. This will allow PHIM to provide stakeholders with a foundation for informed decision making regarding the future of public health in Malawi. 

The review process involved reviewing and appraising some relevant public health documents collected from the Ministry of Health and other institutions. The Materials were processed and adapted in content and context to the nature and dynamics of health practice in Malawi. Two stakeholders’ workshops followed which brought together variety of participants and facilitators used a combination of different methods; PESTEL and SWOT analysis, presentations, group discussions and sharing of best practice while encouraging high level of participation from stakeholders.

In the updated plan, functional components were streamlined into five major categories namely: National Reference Laboratory, Research & Development, Epidemiology & Surveillance, Governance & Management and Support Services.

It is expected that the final PHIM Strategic Plan will be endorsed by MoH Senior Management before end of this year.