Overview
Although national HIV prevalence decreased from 12% in 2004 to 10.6% in 2010, Malawi continues to face a severe epidemic. There are an estimated 1,000,000 Malawians living with HIV. Women are disproportionately affected, and there are approximately 790,000 children orphaned because of AIDS.
USAID uses Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) resources to invest in high-impact HIV prevention, treatment, and care activities with the goal of controlling the HIV epidemic. USAID’s HIV investments mitigate the social and economic impact of the disease, especially among orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
Similarly, USAID supports health systems strengthening efforts that directly contribute to reducing new HIV infections and saving lives. For example, USAID maintains a close working relationship with national and district governance structures by contributing to district implementation planning, strengthening financial accountability, encouraging supportive supervision and program reviews, and engaging in targeted capacity building interventions. USAID supports Malawi’s Human Resources for Health program, including pre-service and in-service training.
Impact
In FY14, USAID and its partners played a central role in the Ministry of Health’s implementation of crucial HIV/AIDS services such as HIV testing and counseling, prevention of mother to child transmission, and antiretroviral treatment (ART). USAID also:
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Provided HIV testing for 1,107,812 individuals, including 359,589 pregnant women;
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Started 62,461 HIV-positive patients on antiretroviral treatment at USAID-supported facilities, of whom 27,382 were pregnant women;
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Kept 216,995 HIV-positive patients on ART at USAID-supported facilities;
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Scaled up Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in six southern districts, providing services to 47,178 men;
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Provided over 300,000 OVC with healthcare, nutrition, education, psycho-social support, and livelihoods guidance services; and
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Saw 46 USAID-supported registered nurses graduate from Kamuzu College of Nursing.
Key Message
Control the HIV Epidemic: Implementing the right interventions in the right places at the right time.
Funding (FY14)
$44.2 million
Partners
Ministry of Health
Partners in Hope
The Futures Group
FHI 360
Feed the Children
DIGNITAS International
JHPIEGO
Population Services International
University Research Corporation
UNICEF
ABT Associates
John Snow, Inc.
Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance
Management Sciences for Health
Banja La Mtsogolo
Geographic Location
Country-wide
USAID Contact
Ritu Singh, HIV/AIDS Team Leader
Email: risingh@usaid.gov
Website: www.usaid.gov/malawi/ global-health/hivaids