Malawi
Overview of the Country
Malawi is located in the South Eastern part of Africa and borders Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. It has a population of about 15.8 million. Lilongwe is the capital city which is more administrative while Blantyre is the largest city and is largely an industrial city. Administratively the country is divided into 3 main regions which are further sub divided into 28 districts. The official languages of communication are Chichewa and English.
Overview of the Program
Malawi is the latest addition to our programs where we have established relationships with Missionary and teaching hospitals in the country. Malawi offers an excellent opportunity for those seeking to advance their knowledge in rural medicine and community health. Our program advisor Dr. Edgar Kuchingale is on hand to work with the elective students to meet their placement objectives. He brings over 10 years work experience from the private, public and faith based health sectors in the country. Coupled with his role as a clinical lecturer at the University of Malawi college of Medicine, he offers excellent supervisory and evaluation advice to the students.
A trip to Lake Malawi is a perfect way to end the elective program. The lake is a popular destination and is known to contain up to about 1000 fish species and the rarest tropical fish which are unique to the lake. A cruise to the lake will offer an unforgettable experience as well as will a visit to the Majete and Liwande National parks.
Overview of the Health System
Like in many African countries, healthcare is mainly provided by the government but is supplemented by faith based and private hospitals. Medical services in public facilities are free of charge. There are approx 260 doctors in the country and this poses a challenge to the government to adequately staff healthcare facilities. Maternal mortality in Malawi is among the highest in the world with approx 807 deaths per 100000 births. Malawi has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world estimated to be at 12%.