The Dossani Trust, and the Gift of the Givers Foundation, both non-governmental organisations, are amongst the first supporters of the COVID-19 Response and Resilience Fund. The donations amount to MK2,500,000 (approximately 2,700 British pounds) with Gift of the Givers Foundation donating MK500,000 and Dossani Trust donating MK2,000,000.

The fund has been set up by the Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust’s (MLW) UK partners – the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) to support the response in Malawi. The fund will support provision of critical basic equipment needed by health service providers at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), the main referral hospital in Blantyre and support researchers both in the lab and out in communities.

MLW are working with the Malawi Government and other partners at district and national level to develop and implement innovative ways to protect vulnerable populations and prevent deaths.

There are currently countrywide major shortage of basic Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), inadequate facilities for waste disposal and insufficient oxygen provision making the prospect of a widespread community transmission of COVID-19 an uphill challenge.

MLW and LSTM are appealing to the local business community to support the purchasing of basic equipment to ensure that people on the frontline are adequately equipped to deliver the best health care and response during this time. Your financial support will also be used to support public health measures including community public awareness and education efforts.

This global COVID-19 pandemic is challenging; and has affected most developed and developing healthcare systems. We can still protect and save lives in Malawi, but it is now a race against time. 
Please join us in the fight against COVID-19.

You can pledge your support by contacting Dr Pratiksha Patel in Malawi (pdpatel@localhost) or Lindiwe Mafuleka in Malawi (lmafuleka@localhost) or Stacey Lavery in the UK (stacey.lavery@lstmed.ac.uk).
For more information on how you can donate/support the fight against COVID-19, please visit: www.mlw.mw  and https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/fundraising/covid-19-response-and-resilience-fund.

Thank you to our supporters here in Malawi and overseas for your support to-date.