In a bid to propel health research and strategic direction, the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme (MLW) welcomed a delegation from its primary funders, Wellcome from October 3 to 5, 2023. This visit marked a significant opportunity for both parties to exchange crucial insights, deepen mutual understanding, and enhance collaboration in the realm of emerging health research and science.

During the visit, MLW Programme Director Professor Henry Mwandumba shared an overview of MLW’s work and the impact the research organisation has had on the national health scene and beyond.

Mwandumba expressed: ““The success stories we have   demonstrate that we conduct excellent work, and this has translated into more grant funding; our income-grant has increased leveraging on the welcome core funding that supports a lot of infrastructure but also a lot of operations that support science.”

The MLW Director said the research organisation is looking to establish additional collaborations to enable it to expand its current focus on infectious diseases but also to start responding to any health challenges that are of importance to Malawi and the region. Prof. Mwandumba said MLW  is looking forward to establishing collaboration with other entities while harnessing new opportunities to respond to emerging and growing climate-related problems, diabetes, and hypertension.

“We are going to impact health and science and influence policy locally and globally. We want that when you come back, you will see us as an internationally recognised institution conducting the best research in a low-income country. We would deliver the best science and be committed to developing Malawi, “Prof. Mwandumba emphasised.

Wellcome’s Major International Programme’s Manager, Harry Mingay, said the visit was an opportunity for both parties to understand each other’s priorities, thereby helping them to work more closely on a common set of shared priorities.

“Wellcome has a strategy, but we also know MLW has its own strategy. We are not asking MLW to conform to the Wellcome strategy, but what we are trying to do is work closer to understand the overlap and shared priorities we know, “Mingay stated.

The Wellcome Major International Programmes Manager added that it is imperative for the Wellcome to have shared impact stories to help the institution advocate for its international partners within the Wellcome and beyond.

He therefore said Wellcome is excited and proud of the work the Malawian-based, internationally recognised research organisation is doing.

The tour to MLW included a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) oxygen plant funded by the Wellcome and a visit to the construction of the  Clinical Research Excellence and Training Open Resource (CREATOR) building . Prof. Mwandumba

underscored that with the CREATOR building, MLW is in a unique position to harness opportunities to be stimulated with the new infrastructure, with prospects to offer space for more collaboration and engagement with both local and international researchers.

The Wellcome-Itad visit follows another Wellcome senior leadership tour in July this year.