Government has reiterated on the need to strengthen multisectoral collaboration if the country is to win the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Chief of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr Queen Dube, said this during a National NCD and Mental Health stakeholder’s meeting in Lilongwe.

According to Dr Dube, there is need to reach out to many people with messages on how they can prevent NCDs.

Dr’ Dube said: “Apart from awareness, hospitals must be prepared to make the diagnosis by having necessary equipment.”

Concurring with Dr Dube, NCD Physician Specialist for Partners in Health (PIH) Malawi, Dr Todd Ruderman, said there are a number of gaps needed to be addressed in order to improve NCD and mental health services.

“There are definitely a lot of gaps needed to be improved in service delivery in the NCDs and mental health and funding is one big challenge.

NCDs are one of the growing causes of death in Malawi and worldwide however, so much attention is brought towards communicable diseases,” said Dr Ruderman.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) has proposed on the need for the introduction of a National Exercising Day to be conducted once in every month.

MHEN Executive Director, George Jobe, said: “If we can choose one afternoon on Fridays that people should leave their desks in offices and walk for at least 30 minutes and likewise our children in schools in order to increase awareness.”

The first ever two-day national meeting for key national players in NCD has been organised by PIH Malawi in collaboration with the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health.

According PIH Malawi, the purpose of the meeting is aimed at appreciating efforts by different stakeholders in supporting NCD activities, identify scientific innovative interventions that can be scaled up nationally, and also resource mobilisation.