Amref Health Africa teams up with First Lady Monica Chakwera in uplifting lives of girls, women

Malawi: Amref Health Africa's global leadership team has announced plans to collaborate with Malawi's First Lady Monica Chakwera's Shape Our Future Foundation (SOFF) to address social and economic barriers that prevent girls and women from advancing in life, writes Watipaso Mzungu.

Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Chief Executive Officer of Amref Health Africa Group, made the announcement after landing at Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport on Sunday.

The team is in Malawi for three days. During their visit, the team will meet with the First Lady and her SOFF, Cabinet ministers, senior government officials, and like-minded organisations.

Gitahi stated that his organisation is committed to working with the Malawi government, SOFF, and other organisations to improve healthcare delivery.

“Malawi is a strategic country for Amref Health Africa. So, what we want to do is to see whether we can grow our portfolio here. We are very keen to ensure that we grow our work in Malawi, and do more work with women and girls,” he said.

Gitahi stated that with the Global Leadership Team's visit, they hope to open more partnerships and collaborate with the partners he mentioned. He stated that they can also expand their budget here and do more work for the benefit of women and girls.

The global leadership team will also commemorate Amref Malawi's tenth anniversary while in Malawi. The team also includes the Group Program Director, Group Partnership Manager, and Director of the Institute for Capacity Development, in addition to the GCEO.

Amref Health Africa was founded in 1957 and has offices in Europe, North America, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Southern Africa, and West Africa, with an annual budget of more than $200 million.

Amref International University, Flying Doctors, the Institute for Capacity Development, Amref Enterprise, Amref Innovations, and many more are among its subsidiaries.

The Amref Health Africa Malawi office was established in 2012. This office has been open for ten years.

The Amref Malawi Country Office focuses on RMNCH, HRH, WASH, and Health Finance. Since its inception, the organisation has made significant contributions to Malawi's health sector through projects implemented throughout the country.

Its accomplishments include the rehabilitation and construction of sanitation facilities such as toilets, boreholes, washrooms, and many others in a variety of health facilities. Through its e-learning programme in Malawi, Amref has trained over 100 health workers (nurses).

The organisation also plays an important role in the Covid-19 response by acquiring and donating personal protective equipment (PPE) and equipment such as oxygen concentrators, Bi-pap machines, and temperature scanners.

Amref has also made a significant investment in community health by assisting with the development and implementation of a national community health strategy.