Table 1 Public Health Provision in Malawi. This table resents the health provision in Malawi regarding the location in the health system and target population of each, and type of cadre working with activities of each at different levels
Variable | Community care | Primary care | Secondary care | Tertiary care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Location & target population | Community health services (health posts, dispensaries, maternity clinics) Community level | Health centres People in radius of eight kilometers or 10,000 inhabitants and Referrals from the the community | District hospitals, community hospitals and hospitals of the faith- based Christian Health Association of Malawi hospitals (CHAM) | Queens (Southern), Zomba(Eastern), Kamuzu (Central) and Mzuzu (Northern )central hospitals |
Activities | door-to-door, village outreach clinics and mobile clinics | outpatient and maternity services | Secondary level services ( outpatient primary and inpatient care, patients referred from health centres in their respective catchment areas (health centres, community hospitals, and hospitals of the faith- based Christian Health Association of Malawi hospitals | Specialized care and dealing with patients referred from their respective secondary levels’ hospitals. |
Cadres providing services | health surveillance assistants (HSAs), community midwives and community health volunteers | medical assistants or clinical officers, nurses, health surveillance assistants, and community volunteers | non-specialist physicians, clinical officers, medical assistants, nurses/nurse midwives and allied health professionals | Consultants and specialists in diverse domains |