In a bid to strengthen its response to HIV and Tuberculosis (TB), Mulanje District Hospital has intensified joint supervision and review meetings which brings together key partners to identify challenges and address gaps affecting delivery of quality services.
Addressing district partners during an update meeting on HIV program activities held at Mulanje district; District Medical Officer (DMO) Lloyd Njikho emphasized the importance of joint supervisions and review meetings. He said they are crucial in checking challenges faced in health facilities and addressing them jointly with the district’s HIV and TB partners.
Njikho further mentioned that through intensified joint supervisions and review meetings, the district aims to improve coordination among partners, enhance service delivery, and ultimately achieve the 2030 goal of ending HIV and TB.
“For HIV and TB programmes to do well, we need to conduct joint supervisions to see where gaps exist and map way forward on how we can jointly address existing gaps. We want to do things together with partners, considering that as a ministry, we are also interested in ensuring that the services are integrated.”
The DMO is of the view that intensified supervisions and review meetings, will help in addressing the high TB death rate, which he said remains a significant threat in the district, and reduce paediatric viral suppression, whose rates currently stands at 74%, far below the district’s target of 85%.
Njikho then urged partners to come forward and support these two critical activities, adding, “We need to work together to achieve our goals. We cannot do it alone, but together, we can make a difference.”
Hastings Mwanza, Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation Officer of the Network of Journalists Livingng with HIV (JONEHA), one of the district’s HIV and TB partners, emphasized the importance of collaboration in the fight against HIV and TB, noting that the Health Sector Strategic Plan 3 (HSSP3) encourages partners and stakeholders to work together, promoting one plan, one budget, and one monitoring & evaluation.
Mwanza highlighted the benefits of collaboration including improved coordination, cost-sharing, accountability and enhanced service delivery. He explained that joint supervision and review meetings will enable partners to learn from each other, address challenges together, and share information on service delivery.
“This collaborative approach will enable us to work together, share resources, and achieve more than we could alone,” Mwanza said. “By working together, we can make a significant impact in the fight against HIV and TB.”
He emphasized that the collaborative approach will help to reduce duplication of efforts, promote efficiency, and bring down implementation costs. Mwanza cited examples of cost-sharing among partners, such as contributing to refreshments, allowances, and fuel. He stressed that collaboration is crucial in achieving the 2030 goal of ending HIV and TB, and urged partners to maximise working together to achieve this goal.
By conducting regular joint supervision and review meetings, Mulanje district is taking a proactive approach to combating HIV and TB, ensuring that challenges are addressed promptly, and progress is tracked regularly.
