The Scottish Parliament’s Malawi Cross Party Group and the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group are coming together for a special joint digital meeting to look specifically at the worsening Covid situation in Malawi and explore what additional support can be offered by the UK and Scotland.

• Monday 25th January
• 6 - 7.30 pm UK time / 8pm – 9.30 pm Malawi time
• Please register to receive Zoom joining instructions

Delighted to have Scottish Government International Development Minister Jenny Gilruth speaking alongside Hon Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, the Government of Malawi's Minister of Health. Both Ministers will update MSPs and MPs on the latest situation in Malawi. We will also hear from Nick Dearden, Director of Global Justice Now, part of ‘People’s Vaccine Alliance’, about the advocacy work to try and ensure that Malawi receives timely and equitable access to Covid vaccinations.

The two parliamentary groups have also invited relevant UK and Scottish Government Ministers to also speak in the meeting, and both High Commissioners.

In the last three weeks there has been a sudden and serious rise in Covid-19 infections and deaths in Malawi. Tragically, two Cabinet Ministers, Local Government Minister Hon. Lingson Belekanyama and Minister of Transport Hon Sidik Mia, and two other senior government officials died of Covid with 24 hours on the 12th December.

While the total number of Covid-19 attributed deaths in Malawi is far below that of Europe and the US, there have been almost as many Covid deaths in the first three weeks of 2021 as in all of 2020.

In a national address on the 12th January the President declared a state of national disaster and made a direct appeal to the international community, UN agencies, NGOs and the private sector. The President said: "We presently find ourselves in one of the darkest hours in our nation’s history. We have entered the eye of this pandemic's storm"

All are welcome to join this digital meeting.

Speakers

Chair - Dr Alasdair Allan MSP Co-Convenor, Malawi CPG

Hon Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Minister of Health, Gov. of Malawi

Ms Jenny Gilruth MSP Minister for Int. Development, Scottish Government

Nick Dearden, Director, Global Justice Now part of ‘People’s Vaccine Alliance’

Ms Habiba Osman Executive Secretary, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC)

Dr Matthews Mtumbuka CEO, UbuntuNet Alliance

Ms Joyce Juma-Phiri Chair, Assoc. of Malawians in Scotland

Dr Antonia Ho Clinical Senior Lecturer University of Glasgow

Prof Mia Crampin Professor of Public Health University of Glasgow

Ms Cathy Ratcliff, CEO, EMMS

Dr. Arie Glas, Medical Director, Mulanje Mission Hospital

Mr David Hope-Jones, CEO SMP and Secretariat for CPG & APPG