During a well-attended ceremony at the Bingu International Conference Center in Lilongwe, the INTER-LINKED and Not Too Late projects were officially inaugurated, reinforcing Malawi’s efforts in addressing pressing health issues.

The event was graced by numerous high-level officials from both Malawi and Italy, including:

• Dr. Samson Kwazizira Mndolo, Secretary for Health, Malawi

• Dr. Stefano Gatti, Director General of Italian Cooperation

• Dr. Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)

• Prof. Stefano Orlando, Project Manager and representative of the University of Rome Tor Vergata

• Dr. Hawa Sangare Mamary, Head of Clinical Programs, DREAM Malawi

• Dr. Mathambo Lowole, National Director, DREAM Malawi

• Dr. Paola Germano, Director of the DREAM Program of the Community of Sant’Egidio

Also in attendance were district health authorities from Blantyre and Balaka, and representatives of the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Peace and Development Trust, and various local and international organizations.

INTER-LINKED: An integrated approach to Malawi’s health challenges

The INTER-LINKED project, led by the University of Rome Tor Vergata in partnership with Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Peace and Development Trust (PDT), and the Community of Sant’Egidio ACAP, with the support of the Italian Cooperation, provides a structured and innovative response to the intersection of HIV, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and women’s cancers. This is especially vital in a country where 992,000 people live with HIV and the health system suffers from severe infrastructure and staffing shortages.

Running over three years, the project aims to:

• Strengthen diagnostic services for HIV and co-infections

• Expand integrated healthcare services, improving access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, particularly for adolescents, young women, pregnant women, and men

Activities include free clinical services, cervical cancer screenings, HPV vaccination campaigns, training for healthcare workers, strengthening of diagnostic facilities, and community awareness initiatives. Collected data will support operational research on disease prevalence and the effectiveness of integrated care models.

Not Too Late: Removing barriers to healthcare access for youth

The Not Too Late project, coordinated by the Community of Sant’Egidio ACAP with partners including the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Peace and Development Trust, and district health authorities of Balaka and Blantyre, and supported by the Italian Cooperation, addresses one of the most urgent health issues: late diagnoses of HIV and TB among youth—particularly adolescent girls and young women, who accounted for 29% of new infections in 2023.

The initiative aims to:

• Reduce late diagnoses

• Promote equity in access to health services

• Improve the quality of prevention and care, with a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach

Key activities include youth-focused health days, testing and awareness campaigns, healthcare worker training, epidemiological research to identify the most vulnerable groups, and strengthening of retention mechanisms in care.

3Both projects share a common goal: to strengthen Malawi’s health system and promote equity and universal access to healthcare, making a tangible contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

During the launch ceremony, representatives of the Malawi Ministry of Health and the Italian Cooperation emphasized the importance of international collaboration, local research, and community engagement.

With an integrated, inclusive, and evidence-based approach, INTER-LINKED and Not Too Late usher in a new era for healthcare in Malawi: stronger, closer to the people, and more attentive to vulnerability.