Dr Everlyn Banda
LILONGWE, Malawi — The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM), through its Research Division, will host the first-ever National Public Health Research Dissemination Conference from October 29 to 31, 2025, at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe, writes Steria Manda.
The three-day event, themed “Advancing Public Health Research for Building Resilient and Sustainable Systems”, seeks to enhance collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and development partners to strengthen the country’s healthcare delivery systems.
PHIM’s Deputy Director for Research, Dr. Everlyn Chitsa Banda, described the conference as a historic milestone in Malawi’s health research landscape.
“This upcoming research dissemination conference is very critical for the Public Health Institute of Malawi as well as the nation because it is the first-ever research dissemination conference that the Ministry of Health is undertaking through PHIM,” Dr. Banda said.
She added that the conference has received overwhelming interest from researchers across Malawi.
“We couldn’t take them all because of financial limitations, but we have selected the best to present either orally or through posters,” she said.
“This event brings together both seasoned and emerging researchers to share ideas and build capacity for evidence-based healthcare.”
Dr. Banda noted that while Malawi has made progress in research output, there has been no national platform to share findings and recommendations.
“A lot of research is being conducted in Malawi, but few people have access to scientific journals,” she said.
“This conference ensures that those responsible for implementing health services can directly learn from the evidence.”
The conference will feature key thematic areas, including emerging and endemic infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, HIV and AIDS, maternal, newborn and child health, and health systems strengthening.
Adriano Lubanga, Senior Research Fellow and Operations Manager at the Clinical Research Education and Management Services (CREAMS), emphasized the need to align research with Malawi’s National Health Research Agenda (2023–2030).
“It is important that research conducted in the country speaks to the National Health Research Agenda, which sets our priorities based on pressing health issues such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and emerging infections,” Lubanga said.
He added that the ultimate goal is to ensure research informs decision-making.
“As researchers, our goal is to bring evidence into policy, and this can only happen when our work aligns with national priorities,” he said.
The event will feature speeches, award presentations, and panel discussions.
The conference is jointly organized by PHIM, the National AIDS Commission (NAC), and CREAMS, with financial and technical support from several partners including WHO, UNICEF, AFIDEP, MEIRU, CHAI, KUHeS, Partners in Hope, and the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme.