Nthache communities in Mwanza demand a health centre.

By Trinity Kubalasa: Communications and External Engagement Manager,  Malawi.

About 47,000 people from Senior Chief Nthache in Mwanza District are struggling to access healthcare services because there is no health centre in the area. This came out during an interface between community members and duty bearers as part of World Vision’s Citizens Voice in Action (CVA) initiative.

Government standards indicate that one health centre should cater to at least 10,000 people, but people in Senior Chief Nthache’s area are desperate as a population of about 47,000 people has nowhere to go.

Chairperson for Nthache CVA Committee, Francis Mvula, said pregnant women and children are most affected as they cover a distance of about 35 km to Mwanza District Hospital.

Mwanza District Council Director of Planning and Development, Emmanuel Sohaya, said they have plans to upgrade Ntanjama Clinic, which is within the community, into a health centre to address the problem.

"We are hoping to do this by the end of this year. Although this does, in no way, address the current guideline of one health centre to 10,000 people, at least it will shorten the distance," Sohaya said.

Community members also touched on challenges they are facing in the education sector, citing inadequate teachers and other resources.

The district acting Director of Education, Frederick Malango, said plans are in the pipeline to recruit more teachers to address the problem of the shortage of teachers, which is one of the issues that came out during the interface.

In his remarks, World Vision Malawi Director of Programs, Charles Chimombo, said the CVA is one way of gathering information on development needs so that there are evidence-based interventions.

"These interactions are important as they help stakeholders identify major challenges and know how best they can be addressed by all stakeholders," Chimombo said.