BACKGROUND
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than half their citizens living in poverty. The primary economic activity is agriculture which been impacted significantly by the pandemic. The Malawi government has made actions to reduce transmission of the virus including a nationwide mask mandate and UNICEF is working to provide PPE, medicine, and other medical supplies to combat shortages there. Water, sanitation, and hygiene projects are also being planned and constructed in several districts to further reduce COVID-19 transmission in Malawi.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
- 2019 GDP annual growth rate*: 4%
- Projected 2020 GDP*: 0.60%
- Projected 2020 inflation*: 9.3%
- Rural population distribution**: 82.6%
- Poverty rate**: 50.7%
COVID-19 UPDATES
As of 12/10/2020
- Total confirmed cases: 6,051
- Total deaths: 185
- New cases in the last week: 23
Source: Johns Hopkins Corona Virus Resource Center
SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS
- Total population***: 21,196,629
- Age distribution**: Majority young (Median age: 16.7)
- Gender ratio**: 0.98 male/female
- Mortality rate***: 7.2/1,000 persons
- Official language**: English
- # of ethnolinguistic groups**: 11+
PROJECT OUTCOMES
- Reached production of PPE items and other COVID-19 related products (e.g., testing reagents and hand sanitizer) in six Malawi higher education institutions (HEIs)
- Established an advisory board to guide and support the universities in these efforts
- Started conservations with one HEI, currently serving as a testing center for chemical reagents on behalf of the Malawi Bureau of Standards, that is interested in converting into a complete testing center that could function post-pandemic
* Source: International Monetary Fund
** Source: CIA Factbook
*** Source: World Bank