By Sellah Chunda and Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, April 26, Mana: Minister of health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has described the launch of Malawi Health Sector Strategic Plan 3 and the Health Financing Strategy as a propeller to enhance and promote the quality of Health Service Delivery in the country.

She made the remarks on Friday at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe during a press briefing on the launch of Malawi Health Sector Strategic Plan 3.

She said among other things, the Strategic plans will help increase life expectancy, reduce high mortality rate and maternal mortality rates reduce HIV prevalence and enhance health infrastructure development and services.

The minister emphasized that the plan will help improve health services at community level and provide health workers with necessary and readily available equipment. Additionally, the Plan will turn Health Centres into Community Hospitals to provide integrated health services and care and the Digitization of the health systems.

She also revealed that districts like Lilongwe and Blantyre will also benefit from the plan, allowing them to have District Hospitals which they have lacked for a long time.

"The declaration states that every national budget must contribute 15 percent of the national budget to promote the well-being and livelihoods, which as a country we have managed to be at 12 per cent which is a good gesture in health promotion," she said.

She said the government is committed to providing all services in Malawi with the partnership of the private sector for specialized diseases for robust health service delivery.

The minister also said that her ministry is committed to to providing health services to all Malawian nationals and foreigners on Malawian soil.

Executive Director for Malawi Equity Health Network (MEHN), George Jobe, Commended the government for the current allocation to the Ministry of Health which he said is close to the Abuja declaration and the aspirations of Universal Health Coverage.