By Mercy Matonga:
First Lady Monica Chakwera has called on women to take a leading role in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
Chakwera, who is also ambassador for TB in Malawi and Southern Africa, made the call Monday during World TB Day commemorations in Lilongwe.
She said most men were reluctant to seek medical attention when sick, which leads to late diagnosis of the disease.
“Being reluctant makes people sicker and prolongs recovery, but early diagnosis makes healing easier,” Chakwera said.
She further said the country should not ignore the resurgence of leprosy, despite Malawi achieving elimination status in 1994.
On her part, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said the support that Malawi was receiving in the health sector was aiding the fight against TB.
“We, as a country, are doing much better in services like screening. We used to face challenges due to the lack of readily available services but this has now improved,” Kandodo said.
Speaking at the event, World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative for Malawi, Neema Kimambo, stressed that TB could not be defeated without proper financing.
“Turning commitments into action means scaling up proven WHO-recommended interventions. Effective TB services must reach every person in need, especially the most vulnerable, ensuring equitable access to quality TB care. Early detection, diagnosis, preventive treatment and high-quality TB care, particularly for drug-resistant TB, are crucial,” Kimambo said.
She also said achieving the WHO’s global goal of eliminating leprosy was possible with sustained commitment.
According to the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, TB incidence has declined by 61 percent over the past 11 years while the TB treatment success rate has risen to 90 percent.
Additionally, the TB/HIV co-infection rate has decreased.
Recent figures from a Ministry of Health report indicated that a total of 18,310 people were diagnosed with TB in Malawi in 2024, more than half of them being men.
The report also said the majority of TB and leprosy patients were recovering.
It further indicated that Malawi was making progress in the fight against leprosy, as only 404 people were diagnosed with the disease in 2023 out of the country’s 19 million population.
The theme for the World TB Day commemoration this year is ‘Yes We Can End TB, Commit, Invest, Deliver’. That for leprosy is ‘Unite, Act, Eliminate’.
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