Minister Urges Global Investment in Healthcare Workforce Development at G7 Italia 2024 Summit
In her remarks, Malawi’s Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima highlighted Malawi’s commitment to aligning its development goals with Malawi 2063 and the Africa Health Strategy (2016-2030).
She emphasised the importance of bolstering key pillars of the healthcare system.
Wirima made the remarks at the G7 Italia 2024 High-Level Event hosted at Caserta Royal Palace in Italy.
She said pillars encompass the health workforce, medical products and technologies, medical information and research, medical service delivery, health care financing and leadership ethics and governance.
One of the key focal points of Minister Wirima’s speech was the need to enhance healthcare education by integrating vital issues including climate change and mental health into the curriculum.
She underscored ongoing efforts to expand pre-service and in-service training for health workers, aimed at addressing critical shortages in specialist areas such as cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, oncology and medical diagnostics.
The Minister stressed the necessity of constructing cutting-edge educational facilities and centres of excellence in health research to facilitate the advancement of medical knowledge and innovation within Malawi.
“We need to boost Malawi’s capacity to produce and maintain critical medical equipment and products, advocating for the utilisation of sustainable energy solutions such as solar power to enhance healthcare service delivery, especially in rural areas,” she said.
The speech resonated strongly with the audience, drawing attention to Malawi’s proactive approach to address healthcare challenges through strategic investments in education, technology and workforce development.
The Minister said collaboration between African nations and international partners, underscoring the transformative potential of investing in life-long learning for sustainable job creation and community resilience.
The theme of the summit, “Investing in Lifelong Learning for Job Creation and Resilience: A Dialogue with Africa,” resonated deeply with Minister Wirima’s impassioned call for strategic investments in Malawi’s healthcare sector.
