In the budget presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe at the parliament earlier in March this year, the health sector was allocated the third-highest sectoral allocation behind education and agriculture, which amounts to about US$349 million (K283.5 billion).
Although the health sector is among the most funded sectors, the parliament’s cluster committee on Health, HIV and Aids, and Nutrition showed concerns that the amount allocated is not enough given the challenges on the ground. Among the challenges include persistent drug shortages, human resources for health, and dilapidated health infrastructure, all of which delay the country’s efforts toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). It is well documented that due to drug shortages in primary facilities in Malawi, individuals are sent with a prescription of drugs to buy at the pharmacy, for households that are already poor and not on social health insurance, this puts them at an increased risk of incurring catastrophic health expenditures. The committee hence responded by requesting increased allocation to the health sector citing that the proposed funding was not enough to ensure sustained drug supplies and spur a medical infrastructure boom. The chair of the committee Mr. Ngwale further said the health sector allocation, which is equivalent to 10% of the total budget, fell short of the Abuja Declaration threshold of 15% which Malawi is a signatory of.
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