New tyres to strengthen health services in Southwest Zone

Health services in the Southwest Zone are set to receive a boost after the Ministry of Health received support aimed at improving mobility for teams that provide technical assistance to district health offices.

Illovo Sugar Malawi donated 10 vehicle tyres worth more than K5.7 million to help address transport challenges that have affected the movement of health officials across the zone.

Deputy Director for Quality Management in the Ministry of Health, Dr Malangizo Mbewe, said the donation would go a long way in improving service delivery by helping the zone maintain its vehicles.

“We really appreciate and are thankful for the support which Illovo has given us considering the challenges we have in terms of mobility of our vehicles,” said Mbewe.

The Southwest Zone oversees seven districts, requiring officials to regularly travel to provide technical support and monitor health service delivery.

Mbewe said lack of reliable transport has been a major challenge, making it difficult for teams to reach districts and provide the necessary support.

Illovo Sugar Malawi Communications and Stakeholder Relations Manager Olive Mtambo said the company responded after receiving a request from the Ministry of Health for assistance with vehicle tyres.

Mtambo said health remains one of the company’s social investment priorities, adding that supporting the sector contributes to building stronger communities.

“Our purpose as a business is to create a thriving Malawian community. To do that, we obviously need a healthy population. That helps us to achieve our agenda, our national development agenda, which is critical for the business as well as for an ongoing concern for the business,” said Mtambo.

The donated tyres are expected to improve vehicle reliability and enable health officials to move more effectively across the Southwest Zone.