Ansah Calls for Health Research, Better Working Conditions
Vice President Dr Jane Mayemu Ansah has called for increased health research and innovation in Africa, saying the continent must reduce its long-standing dependence on medicines, research and solutions developed elsewhere.
Speaking at Kalipano Hotel in Dowa during the official opening of the second Global Association of Clinical Officer and Physician Associates (GACOPA) Southern Africa Conference and the Physician Assistants Union of Malawi (PAUM) Biannual Conference, Ansah said Malawi and other SADC countries must create conducive working environments for health workers while investing in smarter approaches to healthcare delivery.
Ansah said health workers face pressure, long working hours and psychological challenges, urging authorities to strengthen systems that provide mental health support and adequate protective equipment, while encouraging conference delegates to develop practical and actionable solutions through vigorous debate and collaboration.
She also said research and innovation should involve communities and healthcare facilities, stressing that innovation does not necessarily require expensive machinery but can involve finding smarter ways of solving existing problems, while highlighting the need to strengthen the healthcare workforce.
Ansah said the conference was important because it was examining how clinicians can support patients from homes to hospitals, adding that challenges such as access to medicines and medical equipment require research, improved working conditions and collaboration across the SADC region.
“We hear you, we see you for the good work you are doing,” Ansah told clinicians during an exclusive interview with local media.
The Vice President also highlighted disease prevention, citing malaria as an example of a disease where prevention can reduce the burden on health systems.
During the event, Ansah officially declared the PAUM Biannual Conference and GACOPA Southern Africa Conference .
The conference also featured the official handover of the GACOPA leadership mantle from Zambia to Malawi, with Ansah reminding the incoming leadership that the position carries responsibility within the SADC bloc.
Ansah later received an award recognising her leadership and contribution to inspiring women, while GACOPA also honoured her for distinguished public service and leadership and for inspiring clinicians in Malawi and across Africa.
The ceremony concluded with a group photograph involving the Vice President, conference organisers, health professionals and other delegates.
