Building Stronger Public Health Institutions and Systems (BIS) in Malawi

Aims of the BIS Collaboration in Malawi

Our collective aim of the collaboration is to support the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) and thereby strengthen the public health capacity in Malawi. The more specific aims, as identified in meetings with the leaders of PHIM, is fourfold.

Firstly, to provide organisational support as PHIM prepares for potential transition from the Ministry of Health into its own entity. 

Secondly, to support capacity building in the future organisation of the PHIM by supporting a new Malawian medical specialty (Mmed) in public health. In doing this, the BIS program will also fund 2-3 Masters students for the inaugural class.

Thirdly, to explore the gaps in the surveillance and response chain, with a main emphasis on the integrated disease surveillance (IDSR). The BIS program will fund a PhD under this area to help with the gap identification.

Finally, to provide biosecurity courses, in collaboration with PHIM, in response to the issues identified in the Joint External Evaluation in Malawi.

History of Collaboration in Malawi

Since 2008, NIPH has been engaged in a long-term collaboration with its Malawian counterpart, the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM), and contributed to its establishment in 2012. In particular, the PHIM and the NIPH has collaborated in developing core capacities in health security, such as surveillance of infectious diseases, and in supporting efforts to establish PHIM as a semi-autonomous statutory body, most notably under the Global Health Preparedness Programme.

NIPH Collaborative Team

• NIPH Country Coordinator: Trude Arnesen
• BIS Project Management Support: Tara Kelly Dolgner
• NIPH Team members: Ragnhild Dybdahl, Emily MacDonald, Siri Feruglio, 
• Karine Nordstrand
• Expert Technical Support: Frode Forland, Hanne Eriksen, Bjørn Iversen