Health

One of the impediments to development progress in poor countries is rapid population growth, it has been documented. This fact is cemented by the fact that most economies in poor countries are predominantly subsistence agriculture thus rapid population growth increases pressure on non reproducible cultivatable land resulting in declining food security at household level and declining economic growth rate at national level.

Health systems are defined as the organizations, institutions and resources whose actions promote health outcomes. Of the three key elements in the definition, institutions mean policies, rules and regulations governing the health care system. There are six pillars of health systems namely: health care service delivery; financing; stewardship (leadership and governance); human resource generation and retention; medical commodities, equipment and supplies; and health management information system.

This paper assesses the quality and extent of provision for water and sanitation in urban areas in Malawi – where over 60% of the population lives in informal settlements. It also considers whether the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation are likely to be met
in Malawi, and examines the current and potential role of community-led sanitation improvements. It includes recommendations for interventions needed by governmental, international and civil-society organizations to improve living conditions of communities to contribute to the realization of the MDGs.

Nutrition disorders continue to be a silent crisis in Malawi despite efforts by government and partners to improve the situation. This poses a serious challenge to the attainment of the national growth and development goals as set in the MGDS.

The Constitution of Malawi recognises that access to and utilisation of nutritionally adequate and safe food in the right quantities is a right of each individual. This will enable them to lead an active and healthy life.

HIV prevalence is high in sub Saharan Africa with 64% of the total 24.5 million people living with HIV in 2005 (UNAIDS, 2006). Out of 17.3 million women living with HIV in the same period, 13.3 million were in sub Sahara Africa. In 2007, out of an estimated 2.5 million new infections, 1.7 million new infections were in sub Sahara Africa. Statistics from UNAIDS 2006 show that out of the total number of people in need of antiretroviral therapy, 72% were in sub Sahara Africa and that only one in six could receive ART.

An aging population is an international phenomenon of growing concern to governments and multilateral institutions. An aging population may be defined as one with increasing proportion of population in the elderly aged group. Recent trends have raised prospects of a rapid aging population structure not only in developed countries but also in developing countries.