Dowa, MALAWI – Vice President Dr Jane Mayemu Ansah has urged African countries to increase investment in health research and innovation so the continent can develop home-grown solutions to its healthcare challenges instead of relying heavily on medicines and research from abroad.
Speaking at Kalipano Hotel in Dowa during the opening of the GACOPA Southern Africa Conference and PAUM Biannual Conference, Ansah said the government is committed to improving working conditions for health personnel while addressing challenges including long working hours, psychological pressure and inadequate protective equipment.
Ansah challenged delegates to use research, innovation and community engagement to develop practical solutions to healthcare challenges, stressing that innovation does not always require expensive machinery but can involve finding smarter, more effective ways of solving existing problems.
The Vice President officially opened the conferences on behalf of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and received awards recognising her leadership and public service, before telling local media that the conference was important in strengthening healthcare delivery, research and working conditions in Malawi and across the SADC region.