By Pemphero Malimba:
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have asked the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) to intervene on the Malawi Government’s continued failure to meet health funding commitments in the national budget.
The NGOs have also requested the commission to intervene on the government’s failure to timely complete the review and amend the post-abortion care guidelines as directed by the High Court for review.
The NGOs include Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, Centre for Solutions Journalism and Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Alliance.
Speaking at the ongoing ACHPR 89th Ordinary Session in Dakar, Senegal, on Friday, CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa said health sector budget allocations fall short of the country’s regional commitments.
He said despite its commitment under the Abuja Declaration to allocate at least 15 percent of its national budget to health, the Malawi Government allocated approximately 12.2 percent in the 2024-25 financial year (FY), 9.2 percent in the 2025- 26 FY and just 8.5 percent this year.
“We call upon the African Commission to urge Malawi to fulfil its health financing commitments by progressively increasing domestic budgetary allocations to health in line with the Abuja Declaration and prioritising adequate, predictable funding for SRHR programmes and services,” Kaiyatsa said.
Speaking earlier at the event, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Chief State advocate Duncan Chinsisi Zikagwa said Malawi remained committed to ensuring that the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, the African Charter and other international and regional human rights instruments were realized for all persons in Malawi.
“Malawi is in the process of conducting consultations for the validation of its periodic reports under the Charter and the Maputo Protocol and will be submitting these reports to the commission as soon as the process is finalised,” Zikagwa said.