Chairlady of Chikhwengwe women's care group Mellifa Phiri said in an interview on Thursday that with advocacy support from the Malawi Health Equity Network, (Mhen) the group has lobbied for an HSA which the Ministry of Health has since allocated to the area.

"Despite registering these successes. This area we are operating from does not have water, such that we just need a borehole for our health personnel. On top of that the structures we have constructed need window panes and other fittings," appealed Phiri.

The Chikhwengwe women's care group is one of the hard-to-reach areas in Mzimba North and the closest medical facility is 22 kilometers away.

The Malawi Health Equity Network has been trained in social accountability and advocacy where among other things they mobilise locals to access various vaccines.

Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daud who has appreciated the initiative says this development should be replicated in other areas so that more people in the country benefit.

Said Daud: "With these developments, there are indications that diseases will reduce in the area because access to medical services will now be very convenient.”

Information from the Mzimba North District Health Office indicates that since the group started its activities in 2019 vaccine coverage has jumped from 40-91 percent.

The Malawi Health Equity Network has so far initiated 100 houses for Health Surveillance Assistants and 100 health posts across the country with support from GAVI through Government of Malawi.