The following piece was written by Davies Mwachumu, AHF Malawi’s Advocacy and Marketing Officer.
For communities to access quality health services, medicines and other essential health commodities must be available when and where they are needed. At Chinsapo Health Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi, however, the arrangement for accessing medicines was creating significant challenges for both health workers and the community.
The situation began to change when Chinsapo Community Power Voices (CPV), supported by AHF Malawi, identified the challenges facing the health center and used community advocacy to push for a practical solution.
One of the challenges was the way medicines were being supplied. Chinsapo Health Centre had been ordering medicines through Bwaila Hospital because it did not have its own facility code from the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST), which is required for health facilities to order medicines directly.
“Previously, the arrangement was that we were ordering drugs from Bwaila Hospital every week. Because we were receiving medicines under Bwaila Hospital’s code, the quantities were not adequate for the population we serve,” said Henery Zisiyana, Pharmacy Assistant at Chinsapo Health Centre.
Henery Zisiyana, Pharmacy Assistant at Chinsapo Health Centre.
Because Chinsapo serves a large population, stock-outs of essential medicines were frequent, sometimes forcing the health center to open late or close early and limiting access to HIV treatment and other services.
With the lack of a facility code identified as a major barrier to care, CPV refocused its advocacy efforts. Instead of only advocating for longer opening hours, the group began advocating for Chinsapo Health Centre to receive its own CMST facility code.
Led by CPV Chairperson Paul Kachakwara, the team secured a meeting with the District Pharmacist In-Charge, who is responsible for medicines at the district level. They presented the community’s concerns, including unnecessary travel to Bwaila Hospital and increased out-of-pocket expenses, and explained how inadequate medicine supplies were affecting access to health services, including HIV treatment.
These advocacy efforts demonstrated that what initially appeared to be a facility opening-hours problem was, in part, a health commodity supply issue requiring action at district level.
Chinsapo Health Centre was soon assigned its own facility code, enabling the center to order medicines and health commodities directly from the Central Medical Stores Trust.
According to the facility, access to medicines and supplies has improved significantly since it began ordering directly. With more reliable access to essential medicines, patients no longer need to travel to Bwaila Hospital simply because Chinsapo cannot provide the medicines they need.
These efforts demonstrate the value of community-led advocacy. The CPV did not simply identify a problem; they engaged the facility, investigated the underlying cause, identified the relevant duty bearer and advocated for a specific, practical solution.
“We are vigilant to see whether our advocacy efforts will improve the opening and closing times of the facility. We are also engaging the facility to see how we can work together to ensure that the medicines and supplies are put to good use,” said Paul Kachakwara, CPV Chairperson.
The result is not only a facility with its own medicine-supply code, but improved access to medicines, reduced unnecessary travel for patients and a stronger platform for the community to engage with health authorities.
