1 week Ago By NyasaAuthor1
The First Lady Madam Monica Chakwera will hold a High-Level Breakfast to amply the missing voices in ending TB in Malawi scheduled to take place on Monday, November 18. Chief Advisor to the First Lady, Dr Michael Mkandawire announced at a press conference that the Breakfast platform coincides with the Global Fund Board meeting to be held in Lilongwe. “Together we will bring to the forefront the voices of TB patients, survi, vorsand community volunteers who face the disease everyday,” he said.
Adding that the patients and survivors’ experiences and insights are invaluable and they must light the way if the country is to make strides towards ending the disease. Mkandawire believed the breakfast meeting is an opportunity to highlight how investing in TB interventions supports broader healthcare goals. “Every step we take to expand access to care strengthens the foundation upon which we address all diseases ensuring no one is left behind,” he said.
Mkandawire stressed that the Breakfast is an appeal inviting global and regional leaders including the Global Fund Board members to help Malawi secure the resources needed to meet the national and global aspirations to end TB. He noted that the interactions at the High-Level Breakfast will inform strategies on how TB can be dealt with in terms of care, treatment and sustainable funding. First Lady Madam Chakwera is championing the fight to end TB both at national and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region level.
Paradizo TB Patients Trust Technical Advisor, Mara Kumbweza Banda commended Madam Chakwera for including TB survivors to be part of the occasion. “This is a very important platform as survivors will share their experiences as well as bringing out the issues that affect them,” she said. Banda expressed worry over the issue of stigma towards TB patients among the communities.
Director for Facilitator for Community Transformation (FACT) Thokozire Phiri Nkhoma said underfunding is among the challenges in the fight of TB in Malawi. “As a country we need more effort towards fight the disease and this can happen with proper funding towards the interventions,” she said. Nkhoma also said the country need more donors and partners to come in for increased resources to fund the TB fight.
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