Partners in Hope Unveils Plans to Improve HIV Treatment and Health Services in Rural Chikwawa

Malawi: Partners in Hope, with funding from PEPFAR and USAID, has announced plans to increase and sustain the proportion of people living with HIV identified and linked to treatment, and improve durable viral load suppression, PrEP availability, and quality site-level data in rural areas of Chikwawa, writes Comfort Bulangete.

The plans were unveiled by Martin Samuko, Partners in Hope Programs Coordinator for Chikwawa district, during the District Executive Committee meeting at Chikwawa District Council Chamber's Hall on January 13, 2023.

Samuko said in a statement, "Our efforts align with the objectives of Malawi’s 2020-2025 National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS, PEPFAR’s Strategy for Accelerating Epidemic Control, and USAID/Malawi’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy through aggressively reducing HIV incidence and HIV-related morbidity and mortality."

Partners in Hope, which has the vision to be the leading health service provider in Malawi, has three main areas of focus: health service delivery, capacity building and medical education, and research.

Thokozile Muthali, Director of Planning and Development for Chikwawa District Council, added that the government would fully support Partners in Hope, stating, "Their programs will improve healthy delivery services in the district. Partners in Hope has supported the health services in the district in many areas, for instance, by building three stand-alone ATR structures at Makhwira Health Center, Ngabu SDA Clinic, and Dolo Health Center, and also renovating health facilities at Ndakwera, Kakoma, Ngabu Rural Hospital, and Dolo Health Center."