MALAWI
The government of Malawi followed through with its commitment to create a family planning budget line in the 2013/2014 budget, and in April 2014 procured 118,000 vials of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). The budget allocation is set to increase in the 2014/2015 fiscal year.
The Evaluation of Youth-Friendly Health Services in Malawi (a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, USAID, Evidence to Action and the University of Malawi) was published in June 2014, and the government plans to develop a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights strategy for young people. Beginning in September 2014, the primary school curriculum will include age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health information as part of life skills education.
In response to the commitment made in 2012 to strengthen policy leadership, the Reproductive Health Unit within Malawi’s Ministry of Health was elevated to a full directorate in December 2012. The national population policy, which was in draft form at the time of the London Summit, was approved in 2013. Currently the government is finalizing consultations on the policy implementation plan.
With financial and technical support from partners, the Ministry of Health is working to ensure an effective and integrated supply chain system for reproductive health commodities, with a focus on improved forecasting and data management. Family planning commodities are being supplied to health facilities using a push system based on Logistics Management Information System reports from each district. By February 2014, stock-out reports were less than 10%.
Malawi has not yet achieved its commitment to raise the legal age for marriage to 18 years. Advocacy sessions have been held with different groups on this topic, and chiefs have since signed a communiqué committing themselves to work with the government to advocate for this change.
Source: Malawi Ministry of Health, via FP2020 self-report.
