Malaria Vaccine in Malawi - joint Malawi Cross Party Group & Malawi All-Party Parliamentary Group

The Malawi CPG hosted a hybrid meeting from the Scottish Parliament and on Zoom where attendees heard updates from the University of Glasgow and colleagues in Malawi on progress with the Malaria vaccine in Malawi.

In 2021, Malawi’s President Chakwera launched the ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me’ campaign, joining the pan-African movement to strengthen local, national, and regional efforts towards a malaria-free Africa. In that year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that nearly half of the world's population is at risk of malaria, of which there are 247 million cases worldwide, causing an estimated 619 000 deaths. The WHO African Region was home to 95% of malaria cases, 96% of malaria deaths and children under 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the Region.

Speakers included:

Prof Mwapatsa Mipando, Associate Professor & former Principal, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Dr Chris Moxon, Clinical Senior Lecturer (Parasitology), University of Glasgow
Dr Dagmara McGuinness, Research Associate (Parasitology), University of Glasgow
Prof Lilach Sheiner, Professor (Parasitology), University of Glasgow
Lizzie Bridget Tchongwe Divala, PhD student
Watipenge Harmony Nyasulu, MSc student

The meeting also included the Group’s formal AGM- the following were re-elected:

Co-Convenors (currently held by Liam McArthur MSP, Alexander Stewart MSP and Alasdair Allan MSP)
Co-Vice Convenors (currently held by Sarah Boyack MSP)
Secretary (currently held by Stuart Brown, Interim CEO of the Scotland Malawi Partnership)

The formal meeting was followed by networking over a Malawi Gin&Tonic or Soft drinks.