By Josephine Chipofya

Lilongwe, January 31, Mana: The Ministry of Health has urged its stakeholders to strengthen their health finances and stop relying on donations only.

Speaking during the handover ceremony of vehicles and medical pieces of equipment to its stakeholders, Minister of Health Khumbize Kadondo Chiponda said her ministry has already launched its health financing strategy which will help them to source funds on their own.

"As a ministry, we sat down and discussed how we can source funds top from what we get from the Ministry of Finance so we came up with a financing strategy, I am also urging the stakeholders to come up with their own in case donors decide not to give them donations their work should not stop," she said.

The Minister also urged the stakeholders to have a proper maintenance policy, to ensure sustainability.

In her remarks, the Manager for Global Fund and Gavi Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Health Doreen Sanje said, that Global Fund has been a true partner to the Government of Malawi through its various grants such as Tuberculosis (TB), Malaria and COVID grants.

"It is through the Covid grants that we have been able to procure these vehicles and medical equipment. Global Fund wants to see the money given being used for the intended purpose," she explained.

Ministry of Health handed over vehicles and medical equipment worthy $5.3 million to Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police, Christian Health Association (CHAM) Civil Society Organisations,  Mzuzu Central Hospital, Kasungu District Hospital, Bwaila and Mangochi hospitals.