By Doreen Sonani
Malawi is among five African countries set to benefit from a US$52.5 million, approximately K92 billion global initiative targeting two of the country’s deadliest pregnancy complications, preeclampsia and anaemia.
The initiative, dubbed Sustained Uptake of Products for Pre-Eclampsia and Maternal Anaemia (SUPREME), to be rolled out in Malawi, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania, with additional activities in Nigeria and South Africa, aims at tackling major causes of maternal and newborn deaths, including postpartum haemorrhage and mother-to-child transmission of diseases such as HIV.
The programme is funded by Unitaid and implemented with Amref Health Africa and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Announcing the programme in a statement on Friday, Unitaid Executive Director Dr Philippe Duneton said despite the availability of cheap and effective treatments, many women in Malawi, like other targeted countries, still die due to weak health systems, late diagnosis and drug shortages.
“No woman should die giving life from complications we know how to prevent and treat,” said Duneton.
The initiative will also focus on improving early detection and ensuring consistent availability of key tools such as blood pressure monitors, low-dose aspirin and anaemia treatments in health facilities.
“Getting the right product to the right woman at the right time is harder than it sounds,” said CHAI’s Marie Chantale Lepine, who also emphasised the need to ensure the availability of resources to turn investment into action.
Amref Health Africa says the programme will also strengthen community-level care to reach women in underserved areas.
“Too many women in Africa are still dying from pregnancy complications. The real challenge is ensuring these solutions reach women at the right time and in the right place,” said Amref Group CEO Dr. Githinji Gitahi.
For Malawi, the success of the initiative could mean fewer preventable maternal deaths, but only if the investment translates into real change at the frontline.
Preeclampsia alone causes the deaths of tens of thousands of women and half a million newborns each year, while anaemia affects nearly 40 per cent of pregnant women globally, increasing the risk of haemorrhage, premature birth and low birth weight.
