Japanese Government Donates 28 Trucks and 5 Cold Rooms to Malawi's Health Sector

Malawi-The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has donated 28 three-tonne Hino trucks and five units of cold rooms with generators to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Malawi, writes Judgement Katika.

The aim is to strengthen the capability of the country's healthcare system in responding to the Covid-19 crisis.

During the handover ceremony on Wednesday in Lilongwe, Japanese Ambassador to Malawi Youichi Oya emphasized the importance of access to quality health care services, especially during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, cholera outbreak, and the devastation caused by tropical cyclone Freddy.

"I hope that the government of Malawi will utilize the equipment efficiently and effectively to respond to current and future health crises in this country," said Oya.

He added that Japan will continue to work closely with the government and other partners to support the health sector in Malawi.

The Ministry of Health expressed gratitude for the donation, with Minister Khumbize Chiponda saying that the trucks will assist the health sector even beyond COVID-19 and will help fight cholera outbreaks by carrying essential items from one place to another.

The five cold rooms will assist in storing the COVID-19 vaccine in different regions.

"To us, the coming in of these trucks is timely, and we are very grateful for the donation, which cost the Japanese government over K3 billion," said Chiponda.

She also appealed to the directors responsible for district hospitals to implement proper maintenance programs for the vehicles to avoid waste.

The 28 trucks and five cold rooms will be distributed to each of the 28 district health offices across the country.

Malawi's health sector is expected to greatly benefit from this donation, with improved transportation and storage of essential items, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.