Health Civil Society Organizations Call for Increased Funding in 2023-2024 Budget, Suggest National Health Fund

Malawi: In their submission to the Ministry of Finance, as part of the 2023-2024 pre-budget consultations, a group of civil society organizations in the health sector, including the Malawi Health Equity Network, the Universal Health Coverage Coalition, the Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi, and WaterAid, have highlighted key challenges facing the sector and made recommendations for the 2023-2024 budget.

The organizations noted that the current allocation to health in the budget falls below the 15% recommended by the Abuja Declaration, and pointed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of the importance of investing in the health sector.

Key challenges cited by the organizations include inadequate funding for the sector, understaffing, outdated and non-functional equipment in some health facilities and gaps in services provided by the Community Health Association of Malawi facilities.

The organizations also pointed to the strain on the health system from rapid population growth and a rise in non-communicable diseases and mental health issues.

The organizations also acknowledged some positive developments in the current budget, including the opening of the Phalombe District Hospital, the recruitment of some health workers, progress on the construction of health facilities, and the recapitalization of the Central Medical Stores Trust.

To address these challenges, the organizations have recommended forming a National Health Fund and suggested a number of potential sources of revenue, including a carbon tax, a contribution on vehicle registration and driver's licenses, a portion of toll gate and fuel levy revenue, and a levy on visas.

Among the specific requests made by the organizations were increasing the health budget to 15%, recruiting all qualified but unemployed healthcare workers, providing uniforms for healthcare workers, including uncompleted structures in plans for the construction of 900 health facilities, increasing the budget for sexual and reproductive health, and procuring an MRI scanner.

They also called for a higher WASH budget, waiving duties on assistive devices, increasing budgets for non-communicable diseases and mental health, and allocating funds for road safety.