By Wezzie Gausi:
The Parliamentary Committee on Health has called for Malawi to ratify and domesticate the Abuja Declaration as pressure mounts to increase funding for the health sector.
Committee chairperson Anthony Masamba said the move would help push the government towards meeting the 15 percent budget allocation target for health, which Malawi has consistently fallen short of.
“We cannot continue operating below the agreed threshold when the health needs of our people keep growing. Ratifying this declaration will strengthen our commitment to prioritising health financing,” Masamba said.
Malawi currently allocates about nine percent of its national budget to health, with nearly half of the sector’s funding coming from development partners.
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Health rights activist Maziko Matemba said failure to meet the Abuja target has had direct consequences for service delivery.
“The gaps we see in hospitals, drug shortages, congestion and delayed treatment are all linked to underfunding. Government must move beyond commitments and act,” Matemba said.
The committee is expected to table its recommendations in Parliament, with stakeholders watching to see whether the push will translate into increased domestic investment in the sector.
The Abuja Declaration, adopted by African Union member states in April 2001, commits countries to strengthen health systems through increased domestic financing.
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While some nations have moved closer to the target over the years, many, including Malawi, have struggled to sustain funding at that level.
Recent budget documents show Malawi’s health allocation remains below the 15 percent benchmark.
The 2025-26 national budget allocated slightly below 10 percent of total expenditure to health according to sector analyses, leaving a gap between current spending and the Abuja commitment.
