MANEPO Takes Health Services Closer to Older People

The Malawi Network of Older Persons’ Organisations (MANEPO) says older persons need to be reached with health services in the closest places possible if the country wants to achieve a better quality of life for them.

This has been singled out as the organization implements the BMZ Project, which aims to provide age-appropriate and integrated health services to older men and women in Zomba, Balaka, and Machinga districts, especially those afflicted with HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

BMZ project manager Maria Masiye says they have already trained healthcare workers, health surveillance assistants, and community volunteers to enhance health monitoring, including blood pressure checks in older people.

She says that through the promotion of inclusive healthcare policies, the establishment of community-based support networks, and attention to their unique health requirements, the project is improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare for older persons as one way of helping them live happily.

Masiye further states that this is one way of addressing challenges such as travel distance for those in need, citing long distances to health facilities in most areas.

The project which started in 2023 receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Help Age German.