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HEALTH
The overall policy objective of the health sector is to raise the level of health for all Malawians by reducing the incidence of illness and occurrence of death to the population. This is being done through the development of a sound service delivery system capable of promoting good health, preventing, reducing and curing disease, protecting life and fostering the general well-being and increased productivity of Malawians. By 1991, it was estimated that 80 percent of the population had access to primary health services. There are district hospitals in all the 25 districts of the country and referral hospitals in the urban centres of Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba. A fourth (300-bed hospital) is being built in Mzuzu. These three referral hospitals provide general out-patient and in-patient services in addition to specialist treatment. Lilongwe Central Hospital has a specialist Dialysis Machine Unit and Eye Hospital. Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre has an Orthopedic Hospital while Zomba Central Hospital has a Psychiatric Unit.
Malaria and the continued presence of malnutrition are the most pressing problems facing the authorities at present, although the ever-increasing incidence of Aids is cause for concern. Recent surveys suggest that 20 percent of the sexually active population in urban areas are HIV positive as are 17 percent in the rural areas. Another aspect of this sector is the responsibility of developing policies, planning strategies and programmes and ensuring that an acceptable quality of service is provided by both the public and non-governmental organisations involved. Over the years, there has been collaborative effort in meeting these goals with the result that now, it is not only the government which offers health services (although it provides the bulk of it), but the private sector as well. In this respect, the Christian Hospital Association of Malawi (CHAM) and the local government ministry do a lot to complement what the central government does to ensure people's good health in the country.
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In addition to the newly established School of Medicine, professional medical training is offered by CHAM in all the three regions of Malawi and this helps to ease the shortage of such cadres as medical assistants, nurses and midwives.
The new government plans are to expand the existing hospitals and clinics and build new ones wherever possible, especially in places where there are none. The construction of hospitals at the district level all over the country will continue, thus spreading the areas over which health services delivery can be made.
Valid inoculation certificates are required for persons traveling from countries known to have endemic diseases which require vaccinations but it is also advisable to have the usual prophylactics against malaria.
