Malawi National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme Releases Tuberculosis and Leprosy Guidelines
Malawi National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme Releases Tuberculosis and Leprosy Guidelines
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in Malawi has launched the ninth edition of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Guidelines. This comprehensive document aims to enhance the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy across the country. The guidelines align with both national and global health strategies, including the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), the End TB Strategy, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .
Key Objectives and Scope
The guidelines are designed to provide healthcare providers with detailed clinical and programmatic guidance for managing TB and leprosy. This includes improving the quality of care in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, as well as promoting infection control measures to reduce transmission in healthcare facilities. Emphasizing the need for collaboration between healthcare providers, communities, and public and private sectors, the guidelines aim to build capacity among healthcare workers and ensure comprehensive care .
Strategic Framework and Implementation
The strategic plan for TB and leprosy response in Malawi is structured around four main pillars: Patient-Centered Care and Treatment, TB Comorbidities and Key Populations, Bold Policies and Supportive Systems, and Program Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, Research, and Innovation. The successful implementation of this plan requires increased human and financial resources and close cooperation between various stakeholders, including government ministries, NGOs, and community organizations .
Achievements and Goals
Malawi has made significant progress in combating TB. Over the past seven years, TB incidence has declined by 31%, and the TB/HIV co-infection rate has decreased by 43%. The overall TB mortality rate has also dropped by 43%, and treatment coverage increased from 55% in 2021 to 75% in 2022. Despite these achievements, the MoH acknowledges the need to further reduce the treatment coverage gap and sustain the gains made. The guidelines are expected to help achieve a 50% reduction in TB incidence and a 75% reduction in TB mortality by 2025, as well as the elimination of leprosy in all districts .
Leprosy Management
The inclusion of leprosy in the guidelines underscores the need for standardized care for this disease, which, despite Malawi’s WHO elimination status, still affects certain districts. The guidelines address leprosy’s management in special populations, such as pregnant women, infants, and individuals with co-morbid conditions like HIV, TB, and diabetes. The approach includes detailed protocols for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, ensuring that healthcare providers can effectively manage cases and reduce the stigma associated with leprosy .
Collaboration and Future Directions
The guidelines promote a collaborative approach, encouraging public and private healthcare providers to work together to fight TB and leprosy. By leveraging the strengths of various stakeholders, the MoH aims to enhance the effectiveness of elimination programs and provide universal coverage for TB, leprosy, and lung health services. Continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation of strategies based on emerging evidence and epidemiological trends will be crucial for sustaining progress .
Overall, the ninth edition of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Guidelines represents a significant step forward in Malawi’s public health efforts, aiming to build a TB and leprosy-free future for the nation.
Download the guidelines pdf from the link below:
Disclosure Notice : Environmental and Social Management Plan for the construction of a Teaching Complex – SAVE Project
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TEACHING COMPLEX AND ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING HUB FACILITY AT THE KAMUZU UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, LILONGWE
Disclosure Notice
The Government of Malawi is implementing the Skills for a Vibrant Economy (SAVE) project with support from the World Bank (International Development Association, hereinafter, the Association). SAVE is financed through a national resource envelope of US$100 million from the Association for a period of five years. The Project Development Objective is to increase equitable access to market
relevant skills in priority areas of the economy, especially for females and vulnerable youth. The project consists of the following four components:
Component 1: Supporting public higher education institutions in increasing equitable access to market relevant skills development programs; Component 2: Supporting Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training to increase equitable access to market relevant skills development
Component 3: Tertiary education student financing and system strengthening, project management, M&E, and communications Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response.
Therefore, this notice serves to notify interested or affected persons/parties and the general public of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), which has been developed to respond to environmental and social risks arising from construction of the teaching complex and the online and distance (OdeL) learning hub facility at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe Upper Campus. The construction of the OdeL Complex Hub Facility aims to improve academic excellence and access to market-relevant skills-development programs. Specifically, the project will increase student enrolment, improve the
quality of teaching and research, train high-level human resources, provide research and consultancy services, and disseminate knowledge for societal advancement. Construction activities for the project will involve building a two story teaching complex and an OdeL facility that will comprise lecture rooms, offices, pantries, and washrooms.
In conformity with both the national and World Bank environmental and social standards, and social standards, the project has been planned and designed in a manner that enhances potential positive environmental and social impacts and minimises potential negative impacts. This has been achieved through environmental and social assessments that led to the development of the Environmental and Social Management Plan. The environmental and social assessment identified and evaluated the potential environmental and social impacts that the project might generate, proposed measures to enhance the positive impacts and measures to mitigate the negative impacts, and developed a monitoring plan to check the implementation of the enhancement measures for positive impacts and mitigation measures for negative impacts.
Some of the positive impacts that the ESMP identified include increased student intake at the University; increased employment opportunities for skilled and non skilled workers, capacity building of academic staff, and non-academic staff members at the University, and improved teaching and learning at the University. Some of the negative impacts identified by the ESMP report included increased air pollution due to increased dust emissions, increased noise pollution due to construction works, increased soil and water pollution due to spillage of oils and fuels, increased accident incidences due to construction works, increased generation of solid waste, increased risk of illicit behaviour and crime, increased risk of HIV and AIDS, and transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI); increased risk of safety of staff and students at the University during the construction phase; increased risk of disturbance of teaching and learning activities at the University; increased risk of gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; increased risk of child and forced labour; and increased risk of construction work-induced traffic congestion.
The Environmental and Social Management Plan for the project site has been presented to the Malawi Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and the World Bank and is now ready to be presented to stakeholders interested in any observations.
The report is now available for reference purposes at any time at the following locations:
• Malawi Environmental Protection Agency, Lingadzi House, and Robert Mugabe Street in Lilongwe
• Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe Upper Campus, Off-Mzimba Drive, Opposite Kamuzu Central Hospital.
• Kamuzu University of Health Sciences website, www.kuhes.ac.mw;
To this end, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences proposes to engage stakeholders in the report. Stakeholders and interested persons/parties are invited to participate in the Public Disclosure process by examining the documents available as detailed above and submitting any observations no later than 19 July 2024 to:
Vice Chancellor
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences,
Private Bag 360,
Chichiri,
Blantyre 3
Email: vc@kuhes.ac.mw
Copy pmapulanga@kuhes.ac.mw
Phone Number: +265 1 810 911 / +265 1 811 286
We look forward to your participation in this public disclosure.
Notice to newly elected students at KUHES for 2024/2025 academic year
Application for Accommodation
The Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) wishes to inform all First Year and Foundation students selected for various programmes at KUHeS that application for accommodation is now open.
To apply for University accommodation please complete an application form which may be collected from the University or downloaded from the University website through the following link: https://www.kuhes.ac.mw/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HOSTEL-ACCOMODATION-APPLICATION-FORM-FOR-NEW-UNDERGRADUATE-STUDENTS1-1.pdf. The completed forms should be sent to the Director of Student Affairs not later than 31st July, 2024 using the following postal address: Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, P/Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, or e-mail address: accommodation@kuhes.ac.mw.
Continuing students should make their accommodation application through the Student Academic Register Information System (SARIS).
Applicants will be notified in advance by 31st October 2024 on whether their application has been successful or not. Unsuccessful applicants are advised to make alternative accommodation arrangements to secure private accommodation close to their respective campuses before the opening date.
For more information, please contact the Central Registry by calling 0111810911 ext. 271 or 265 or send an email to accommodation@kuhes.ac.mw.
2022 KUHeS Research Dissemination Conference
2022 KUHeS Research Dissemination Conference
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) will from Thursday 24th November 2022 to Friday,25th November 2022 host a Research Dissemination Conference (RDC). The Kamuzu University of Health Sciences was opened in 2021 as a University of Health and Allied Sciences. This University was established by merging Kamuzu College of Nursing (est. 1965) and College of Medicine (est. 1991). The Research Dissemination conference will be held at KUHeS main campus in Blantyre, Malawi. The conference is the premier gathering of local and international research scientists, public health practitioners and policy-makers.
This year’s conference is unique because it is KUHeS first ever Research Dissemination conference as a new University since the merger between College of Medicine and Kamuzu College of Nursing. The last conference was in 2020 and was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every year, the conference happens under a theme and these themes are mostly health related. Speeches and presentations that are made at the conferences therefore circulate around the theme. The theme this year is Excellence for life: through multidisciplinary research and innovations.
The Research Dissemination Conference provides researchers and professionals a platform for disseminating their findings, exchanging contemporary knowledge and building partnerships and collaborations. As it has been year after year, the two- day conference has researchers sharing findings from research studies on health with a view to keeping the public, researchers and policy makers informed of current research activities relevant to human health in the country. Among other activities at the two-day conference, researchers will share research findings through oral and poster presentations, speeches from keynote speakers, and on the second day there will be awards given to outstanding presenters after presentations.
During this conference, participants will discuss and reflect on improving quality of health through multidisciplinary research and innovations in Malawi. The following are the thematic areas of research that the participants will focus on:
- Nutrition
- Mental Health
- Infectious diseases
- Clinical Management
- Environmental Health
- Social Science in Health
- Health Systems and Policy
- Non-communicable diseases
- Epidemiology and Public Health
- Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health
The conference is expected to have local and international delegates. Guest of honor at the conference and keynote speakers are yet to be announced. This year, organizers of the event are expecting over 800 participants.
Submission of abstracts and registration to attend or present at the conference is being done online, through: http://rdc.kuhes.ac.mw/
All abstracts will be peer-reviewed and successful investigators will be informed by Friday, 21st October 2022. The closing
date for registration and payment is Thursday, 3rd November 2022.
Applicants will be required to pay registration fees as follows;
1. Undergraduate students: MK25,000
2. Postgraduate students: MK30,000
3. KUHeS faculty members and affiliates staff: MK45,000
4. Other local delegates: MK75,000
5. International delegates: $150
Limited conference grants will be offered to students that submit high quality abstracts. Students will be required to fill appropriate conference grant application forms online.
KUHeS missions is to provide high quality student-centred and innovative health education informed by research that responds to policy, societal health and development. This mission supports the conducting of research relevant to Malawi and the rest of the world. This mission has been carried on before the University’s inception as the College of Medicine has been conducting Research Dissemination Conferences since 1997. KUHeS has a research unit called The Research Support Centre which was established in 2006. The Research Support Centre’s sole purpose is to promote research by providing comprehensive research support and grants management services to KUHeS faculty members, students and research affiliates. Since it’s opening, the Research Support Centre, with help from the then College of Medicine now KUHeS and several sponsors, has been facilitating Research Dissemination Conferences Since the year 1997.
The following are the themes for the past Research Dissemination Conferences since 2000:
2020: A Multidisciplinary Response to COVID-19 Pandemic (Virtual)
2019: Addressing sustainable development goals through multidisciplinary research
2018: Health Research for Preventing Illness and Improved Health Services in Malawi
2017: Driving the next decade of research in Malawi: Achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
2016: College of Medicine Research Excellence Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
2015: Addressing the double threat of non-communicable and communicable diseases in Malawi
2014: Reduction of disease burden in Malawi: Evidence-Based public health approach.
2013: Towards 2015 ‘Success and Challenges of Health and HIV & AIDS Research in the Context of Millennium Goals’.
2012: Promoting Research for a healthy
2011: Promoting Demand driven research in Malawi
2010: Implementing Research into Policy
2009: Research Capacity Building in Malawi
2008: Good Research Practice
2007: From Research to Treatment: Improving the care of patients with HIV
2006: A Decade of Research Dissemination in Malawi
2005: Research addressing poverty-related diseases in Malawi
2004: Translating Research into Health Policy in Malawi
2003: Promoting Health Research and Ethics in Malawi
2002: Encouraging Health Research in Malawi
2001: College of Medicine and Research in the first 10 years
2000: Health Research and Policy in Malawi
KUHeS is calling upon researchers and the general public to register to attend the conferences as they are educative, informative and eye opening in regards to the different research and innovation happening in Malawi. For more about the conference, contact rdcenquiries@kuhes.ac.mw
