The Minister of Finance delivering a speech at the official launch of the 2024 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey Main Report at BICC

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation, Joseph Mwanamvekha, has pledged government's commitment on strengthening health issues–citing such investments are aligned with national development priorities.

Mwanamvekha made the remarks on Tuesday at Bingu International Conference Centre-BICC in Lilongwe during the launch of the 2024 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) Main Report.

In his remarks, the Minister highlighted health is not merely a social sector concern, but rather, it is a strategic economic investment where he emphasised a healthy population is more productive, more resilient, and better positioned to drive economic growth.

He therefore said Improved health outcomes contribute to poverty reduction, reduce household vulnerability and lessen long-term pressure on public finances, and vice versa, poor health outcomes undermine productivity, increase health-care costs and slow national development.

"For these reasons, the government remains committed to strengthening health financing, improving efficiency in service delivery and ensuring that investments in health are aligned with national development priorities," said the Minister. 

He further highlighted the findings of the 2024 MDHS will therefore be fully integrated into ongoing policy reforms, medium-term expenditure frameworks, district development plans and sector budgets.

The Minister therefore commended National Statistical Office, Ministry of Health and as well development partners in the name of USAID, the World Bank, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHRC, UNESCO, Global Fund, the European Union and Global Fund of Canada, among others, for having championed the project.

Meanwhile,  Mwanamvekha has urged all stakeholders to actively engage with the report and use its findings to support coordinated evidence-driven interventions.