“The partnership between WFP and MSF came at a critical time in Malawi’s fight against the virus.”
WFP and MSF fighting COVID-19 together in Malawi
Katherine McAleer
The second wave of COVID-19 hit Malawi as people were ringing in 2021 and celebrating the end of a particularly hard year under lockdown.
The third wave, which unfolded at surprisingly high speed, hit as many were getting ready for summer holidays to begin, before subsiding towards the end of August. The situation has now improved and certain travel restrictions and quarantine requirements have been lifted as a result. Nevertheless, the situation could change again at any time, and key precautionary measures remain in place.
To respond to the additional needs caused by this outbreak and to support the national response, the World Food Programme (WFP) joined forces with Médecins sans Frontières or Doctors Without Borders(MSF) to erect a COVID-19 Field Hospital within the QECH compound, with assistance from the Malawi Institute of Engineers. WFP set up large tents commonly known as Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) to provide the critical space needed for testing, observation, isolation and treatment facilities. The field hospital also serves as a vaccination point for the vaccination campaign rollout.
“The partnership between WFP and MSF came at a critical time in Malawi’s fight against the virus,” says Fabrice Weissman, the MSF France Emergency Coordinator of Malawi Mission. He highlights that the field hospital was only part of the MSF response that also encompassed the provision of oxygen and the secondment of staff to replace Ministry of Health personnel who had been contaminated or quarantined by the virus.
“Without the installations provided by WFP, it would have been impossible to increase capacity on time given the lightning speed of the second wave. WFP’s quick response and rapid deployment of installations allowed for the increased space necessary to test, isolate and treat patients in record time, which contributed to reducing the impact of the second wave,” adds Weissman.
Malawi remains a highly unvaccinated population, despite increased availability of vaccines in recent weeks. By the first of September, out of a total population of 19 million, some 474,807 people have received the first dose of a vaccine, and 418,255 have been fully vaccinated. As such, the QECH field hospital, erected with support from WFP-MSF in Blantyre, will continue to serve on the frontlines of the country’s response to the pandemic.
WFP Malawi, as co-lead of the National Logistics Cluster, has provided logistical support to the COVID-19 response, ensuring augmented storage, transport capacity and engineering support to the Government and humanitarian partners. In addition to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, WFP supports the Government with a wide range of services to the humanitarian community, including setting up COVID-19 screening areas at the airports and isolation spaces in hospitals and refugee camps. In total, 40 Mobile Storage Units have been set up for COVID-19 health screening, isolation and treatment.
WFP counts on the generous support of development partners for its support to the COVID-19 response, particularly the governments of Iceland and Canada through the UN SDG Acceleration Fund.
