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  • PHIM Staff Attend Regional Training to Boost Emergency Preparedness.

    PHIM Staff Attend Regional Training to Boost Emergency Preparedness.

    PHIM Regional Training Newsletter
    Author: Mr Noel Khunga | Location: Lilongwe, Malawi | Training Dates: 1–19 June 2026
    PHIM staff attending the regional training

    Four staff members from the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) returned from a productive three-week training programme in Johannesburg, South Africa. The training, which took place from 1–19 June 2026, aimed to enhance regional public health emergency management capabilities.

    The programme convened 24 health professionals from six Southern African nations—Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. The primary objective was to facilitate knowledge exchange and improve the collective regional response to public health crises through collaborative best practices.

    Strengthening Response Capabilities

    The training provided hands-on, practical experience, allowing participants to apply standardized methodologies directly to their professional duties. Key areas of focus included:

    • Incident Management Systems (IMS): The application of structured leadership and coordinated decision-making during emergencies.
    • Emergency Operations: The management of logistics, finance, and administration within a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC).
    • Effective Documentation: Enhancing proficiency in drafting Incident Action Plans (IAPs) and Situation Reports (SITREPs).

    For PHIM, this training marks a significant step forward in operational readiness. The competencies acquired will assist the institute in refining its detection and response mechanisms for disease outbreaks and climate-related emergencies. The initiative also highlights the value of regional collaboration, as partnerships remain essential to safeguarding the health of all Malawians.

    PHIM maintains a firm commitment to developing a robust and highly skilled health workforce. The institute continues to integrate the knowledge gained from this training into national systems, ensuring the country remains well-prepared to address emerging public health threats.

    Official Documentation

    Published By

    Moses Nyambalo Phiri

    Public Health Institute of Malawi

    Ministry of Health, Republic of Malawi

  • PHIM and Partners Strengthens District Public Health Emergency Response Capacity Through PHEOC Training.

    PHIM and Partners Strengthens District Public Health Emergency Response Capacity Through PHEOC Training.

    DISTRICT PHEOC TRAINING

    Dowa, Malawi – April 7th, 2025.
    by
    Moses Nyambalo Phiri in collaboration with Ella Chamanga, Shaibu Safali, James Jere and Settie Kanyanda.

    With significant efforts to enhance the nation’s preparedness and response framework through rolling out comprehensive Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) training targeted at district level public health officials, the Public Health Instittute of Malawi (PHIM) with funding from the World Bank has rolled out the first district training sessions.

    This crucial initiative stems from the recently rolled out National-PHEOC Training of Trainers (ToT) conducted weeks ago fulfilling the PHIM’s core mandate, to effectively prepare for, prevent, detect, respond to, and mitigate public health emergencies (PHEs) and threats across all levels of the Malawian health system, now focusing on district level. The training program has been designed to strengthen coordination and operational efficiency within the multi-sectoral multi-disciplinary response architecture managed by the PHEOC.

    In an era where public health threats, from infectious disease outbreaks like Cholera, Mpox and Measles arising from potential impacts of climate change, demand robust and rapid responses, the presence of highly skilled Health Care Workers (HCWs) at the district level is paramount. All twenty nine districts often represent the front lines of public health surveillance and initial response. Therefore, according to this critical need, PHIM has launched the first phase of this districts-focused training program, initially encompassing officers from seven key districts: Lilongwe, Dedza, Salima, Karonga, Nkhotakota, Balaka, and Phalombe.

    Group work during training session in Mponela.

    The District-PHEOC serves as the central nervous system for coordinating all activities during a public health emergency within the district. It functions as a hub for information gathering and analysis, resource mobilization and allocation, strategic decision-making, and communication among various responding agencies supporting the district, including government MDAs, NGOs, and international partners.

    By equipping district officers who are often the first responders and key data sources with indepth knowledge of PHEOC protocols, Incident Management Systems (IMS), risk communication strategies, and data reporting mechanisms, PHIM aims to significantly improve interagency synergy and streamline communication channels, clearer roles and responsibilities, and ultimately, a more timely, coherent, and effective response to diverse public health threats, ranging from disease outbreaks to natural disasters with health consequences.
    Dr. Mike Chisema, EPI Manager.
    Dr. Chitsa Banda, Deputy Director Rensiponsible for Research Division.

    dr. Mike chisema and dr. chitsa Banda lecturing.

    Participants in the training include District Environmental Health Officers, Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs), DODMA officers, clinicians, and other key personnel involved in public health surveillance and response. The curriculum covers essential modules on the PHEOC structure and functions, roles within an Incident Management System, emergency coordination principles, information management, and effective communication during crises.

    Dr. Annie Chauma Mwale-PHIM, led the team of facilitators.

    This training represents a vital investment in our human resources available at the district, stated Dr. Annie Chauma Mwale – PHIM. She said “Empowering our district teams with standardized PHEOC operational skills is fundamental to building a truly resilient national public health system. When the districts are strong and coordinated, the entire national response mechanism functions more effectively, safeguarding the health and well-being of the nation.”

    PHIM plans to extend this vital training to cover all districts in subsequent phases, ensuring nationwide competency in PHEOC operations. This first phase of District – PHEOC training portrays PHIM’s unwavering commitment to proactively strengthening Malawi’s health security architecture. The skills and knowledge imparted during these sessions are expected to be instrumental in ensuring a more coordinated, rapid, and impactful response to any future public health challenges the nation may face.