UK Emergency Medical Team to provide COVID-19 support and training to health workers in Malawi

by in Health

By Durell Namasani

A UK Emergency Medical Team (EMT) will be deployed to Malawi for 8 weeks to support the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 response, particularly in management of critically ill COVID patients, community perceptions around COVID-19 and support to community engagement on national COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

According to the statement issued of UK GOV website, The UK EMT is a rapid medical response capability, comprising of world-class experts who deliver front line medical care, advice and support to governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local health workers during disease outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies to save lives and alleviate suffering.

Since the start of the COVID crisis, the UK EMT has been supporting global efforts to respond to the pandemic through the deployment of specialist staff to work alongside Ministries of Health, the WHO–EMT Secretariat, WHO country offices, as well as other UN agencies and international NGOs.

so far EMT members have deployed to Ghana, Cambodia, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, South Africa, Chad, Lebanon and lately in Armenia, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana.

In his statement ,British High Commissioner to Malawi, David Beer said COVID-19 is a global problem that requires a global solution. “No one is safe until everyone is safe. The UK continues to be Malawi’s close partner in responding to the pandemic, supporting vaccines and the medical response. We are delighted to be able to deploy a UK Emergency Medical Team in order to support the health authorities on the ground”.

UK EMT Team Lead Ngoni Mac Nyambawaro said “On behalf of the UK Emergency Medical Team, our team of highly qualified experts look forward to supporting national healthcare teams to attend to critically COVID-19 patients, and to develop their capabilities to ensure the impact of this response lasts well beyond the time we are in Malawi.

In her response , the Minister of Health Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said The COVID-19 pandemic presents a clear challenge to the country’s economy, communities and healthcare system. “The on-job support and capacity building of our health professionals by UK EMT, as well as risk communications and community and health worker engagement, will help us prepare better for future waves” said Chiponda.

The UK has been at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19, kickstarting the COVAX facility in 2020, and investing £90 million to support the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.In addition to supporting the immediate humanitarian response in Malawi with £9.67m, and co-funding the COVAX vaccines that Malawi has received, the UK has also provided 119,040 vaccines bilaterally so far.