Countdown to 2030: Research Highlights Malawi’s Maternal and Child Health Successes and Critical Areas for Improvement

Malawi has demonstrated significant strides in its maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health landscape over the past five years, according to a recent analysis conducted under the Countdown to 2030 initiative.

The report, a collaborative effort by Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, School of Global and Public Health, and the Ministry of Health’s Reproductive Health Directorate highlights encouraging improvements in service coverage, health outcomes, and data utilization, while also pointing to critical areas that require sustained attention.

Leading the Malawi Countdown 2030 Research team from KUHeS, Principal Researcher Adamson Muula presented the findings during a media training conducted sometime last month.

“The Pentavalent 3 vaccination coverage for Malawian under 5 children is at least 94%; while the World Health Organisation (WHO) global target is 90%. For our country, there is no difference in vaccination uptake based on residence status (rural vs urban), wealth status or maternal education. At least 96% of Malawian mothers deliver in a health facility,” Muula said.

Leading the Malawi Countdown 2030 Research team from KUHeS, Principal Researcher Adamson Muula presented the findings during a media training conducted sometime last month.

“The Pentavalent 3 vaccination coverage for Malawian under 5 children is at least 94%; while the World Health Organisation (WHO) global target is 90%. For our country, there is no difference in vaccination uptake based on residence status (rural vs urban), wealth status or maternal education. At least 96% of Malawian mothers deliver in a health facility,” Muula said.

However, despite these gains, important gaps remain such as coverage of early antenatal care and four or more ANC visits is still below the global target of 70%, pointing to missed opportunities for early detection and prevention of pregnancy-related complications.

“National averages also mask significant district-level inequalities, particularly for immunisation and institutional delivery, with some districts consistently lagging below 70%. While maternal education does not appear to be a major barrier to service use, geographic and rural-urban differences persist, highlighting the need for targeted district-specific action or intervention,” he said.

One of the journalists from The Times Group, Mercy Matonga said the training was enlighting further saying the information from experts on the ground helps them to write with facts.

“The Malawi Countdown 2030 team has presented us with a clear picture: the insights from this meeting are important.This dialogue has equipped us, the media, with crucial insights to inform the public and advocate for meaningful change,” she said. The media interface included journalists from Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Zodiak, The Times Group and The Nation.