Mar
31
2020

Health Forum - Covid-19 preparedness (Zoom Meeting 1)

The SMP's first online Health Forum centered on Covid-19 Preparedness in Malawi. 50 members and key partners join us for our Health Forum which took place online. Professor James Garden presented on Edinburgh Surgery Online's inspiring work. The rest of the meeting looked at Covid-19 preparedness in Malawi, with detailed updates from the heads of the College of Medicine, Ministry of Health, A&E departments and other experts across Malawi, Scotland and the U.S.

On the 31st March we were delighted to have almost 50 members and key partners join us for a meeting of our Health Forum, which took place online due to Covid-19 restrictions. In light of the pandemic, the original agenda was significantly revised to prioritise discussion around Coronavirus preparedness and support in Malawi.

CLICK HERE for a summary of the meeting

CLICK HERE to watch the full video recording of the meeting.

Professor James Garden CBE presented on the University of Edinburgh’s online surgical training programme with Malawi.

CLICK HERE to download his presentation

The rest of the meeting looked specifically at Covid-19 preparedness in Malawi, with detailed updates from the heads of the College of Medicine, the Malawi Scotland Partnership, key civic society individuals and organisations in different regions of Malawi, Ministry of Health, A&E departments, the Scottish Government and other experts across Malawi, Scotland and the US.

Informed by the meeting’s discussions, the SMP proposed the below five strategic priorities, in the scenario of a Covid-19 outbreak in Malawi:

1) Disseminate relevant information to members.

2) Establish a space for the sharing of experience, information and resources, listening to a range of voices.

3) Support coordination and collaboration.

4) Offer clear Malawi-led advice about how members can support their partners.

5) Ensure all our work follows the principle of do no harm: ensuring our members are following government advice and best practice, and are not unnecessarily taking staff away from their work.