Ministry of Health officials visit KUHeS

The Vice Chancellor of Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Prof Mac Mallewa, hosted a Senior Management team from the Ministry of Health (MoH) at KUHeS main campus in Blantyre on 25th January 2024.

The team, which was led by Chief of Health Services-Reform, Dr. Martias Joshua, was sent by the Minister of Health, Honorable Dr. Khumbize Kandodo to come and appreciate the progress of renovations of molecular laboratories at KUHeS funded by Global Fund grant through the Ministry of Health.

During the visit, Dr. Joshua was taken on a tour of the Molecular Lab led by Dr. Tonney Nyirenda, Head of Pathology department and Dr. Arox Kamng’ona, Executive Dean of the School of Life Sciences and Allied Health Professions. He was also shown teaching laboratories that are using laboratory equipment funded through the same grant.

In his remarks, Dr. Joshua congratulated Prof. Mallewa of the great work happening at KUHeS and assured him of MoH continued support.

The molecular laboratories will be ready in 3 months’ time and will have improved biosafety and biosecurity infrastructure. They will host the newly established next generation sequencing (NGS) facility at KUHeS. Through this NGS facility Scientists will be able to gain deep understanding of pathogens that cause infectious diseases such as COVID-19, cholera and diarrhoea. Scientists will also be able to study the molecular basis of non-communicable diseases such as cancer. Furthermore, the facility will create an excellent training centre for laboratory scientists and bioinformaticians in Malawi.