The Malawi Health Equity Network- MEHN says government should employ more health workers and provide enough equipment in all health facilities if Malawi is to register zero under five mortality rate by 2063.

This comes at a time when government has launched the consultations of the Vision 2020 successor, Malawi Vision 2063.

Speaking to YFM, MHEN’s Executive Director George Jobe said most health facilities are understaffed which affect the output and efficiency of the work.

Jobe also said that rural health facilities should be adequately supported with all the necessities, as it is mostly children in the rural areas who are affected.

“There is need to improve rural health facilities to ensure that people living in the rural areas can also access quality treatment at all times. Mainly it is children and women who suffer the most and this leads to deaths,” he said.

Health rights activists, Dorothy Ngoma said unless government puts in place deliberate measures to improve the socio-economic status of people in rural areas, Malawi will never achieve zero infant mortality rates.

Ngoma said most rural areas are living in extreme poverty which also translates into poor health of both the mothers and babies.

“People in the rural areas are living in extreme poverty and you don’t expect them to be healthy and the children to survive. Government should put initiatives that will help them to be economically stable,” she said.