Malawi President Chakwera-UK support critical for global health

Lazarus Chakwera is the president of Malawi.

"I don't want myself or any of my family members to die of this preventable disease.”

These were the words of Esmie Mwanga, a terrified mother-of-two from Blantyre in my country Malawi, at the peak of a nationwide cholera outbreak not long ago.

With nearly 60,000 recorded cases and 1,772 deaths, it was the worst such outbreak in our country’s history.

Considering that the outbreak hit every district in Malawi, it is quite a marvel that last July we were able to declare the end of this National Public Health Emergency — and for mothers like Esmie, the end of cholera’s reign of terror.

But how did we defeat this monster?

Outbreaks like cholera, malaria, Marburg and others continue to stand in the way of Africans’ ability to rise to their full potential, robbing them of opportunities to leverage the continent’s riches in natural resources and youthful energy for their economic transformation.

In this context, governments are forced to focus resources on keeping already overwhelmed healthcare systems from collapsing under the weight of perennial health crises instead of investing in economic productivity and growth, and so the spiral of poverty continues.

And what we’ve learnt from our recent victory over cholera is that the only hope of ending that spiral are global partnerships like the kind Malawi has with the United Kingdom through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Time to step up 

Since its founding in 2000, Gavi has helped to vaccinate 1.1 billion children and saved 18.8 million lives.

These vaccines, along with Gavi’s health system support and access to international science and technology, have been instrumental in the global fight against infectious diseases.

In Malawi, for example, over 400,000 children have already received at least one dose of the malaria vaccine, a key innovation advanced significantly by British scientists.

Combined with other malaria prevention and treatment tools, this vaccine has the potential to substantially reduce deadly severe malaria, and to reduce all-cause child mortality.

At the heart of Gavi’s success is partnership with governments.

And no partner has a prouder legacy with Gavi than the UK. Since Gavi launched 25 years ago, the UK has stood side-by-side with Gavi, and countries like Malawi, in the battle against preventable disease.

The UK, under a Labour government, was one of the six original donors to Gavi in 2000, and since then has provided finance, innovation and leadership to make Gavi one of the most effective tools in global health.

Between 2000-2022, the UK’s contribution helped Gavi and partners reach 438 million children in Africa with routine immunisation, averting 11.1 million deaths, while building stronger, more resilient healthcare systems.

And while we in Malawi may feel the benefits of these investments in the short term, in the long term, they are good for us all.

For every $1 invested in Gavi by countries like the UK, $54 of economic benefits are created in partner countries like Malawi — supporting access to education, helping small businesses thrive, and driving innovation, enterprise and growth.

Now is the time to step up, not step back; the time to strengthen partnership between the Global North and the Global South, not to go it alone; the time to recognise that our economies and health systems are so deeply intertwined that support for initiatives like Gavi are not charity, but smart, long-term investments for the UK and the entire Commonwealth.

That’s why I hope to see the UK stand once more, shoulder to shoulder, with Gavi, and countries like Malawi, in the fight against infectious disease.

At Gavi’s upcoming replenishment summit, the UK has a unique opportunity to show vital solidarity with its Commonwealth partners by reinforcing its commitment to Gavi, towards building a world where everyone can thrive.