Health
In 1977, the World Health Assembly decided that the main social target of governments and of WHO should be the attainment by all the people of the world by the year 2000 of a level of health that would permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life. In other worlds, as a minimum, all people in all countries should have at least such a level of health that they are capable of working productively and of participating actively in the social life of the community in which they live.
Sadly, this remains only a dream for the rural majority populations of most of the developing world. The subsequent Millennium Development Goals achieved uneven progress and results between countries. Currently, the Third Sustainable Development Goal seeks to ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’. It’s 4th target states that ‘By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being’.
The aim of Umoyo is to work with the people of Malawi and Southern Africa towards achieving the Global Goals and turning the dream of “Health for All” into reality. We dream of the people of Malawi achieving a level of health comparable to the best in the world by the middle of the 21st century and extending that achievement to the rest of Southern Africa thereafter.
Although most rural areas in Africa today have a physical health facility, personnel capacity remains a big problem. The Malawi Health Sector Strategic Plan 2011 – 2016 reports the following as the top ten causes of deaths for those in contact with
health care services in Malawi:
Malawi Top 10 Causes of Death (CDC website)
HIV/AIDS
Neonatal disorders
Lower respiratory infections
Tuberculosis
Diarrheal diseases
Malaria
Ischemic heart disease
Stroke
Congenital defects
Diabetes
Source: GBD Compare 2018, Malawi