MLW Calls for Support for Young Innovators in Malawi

By Edward Rex

Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme (MLW) Director, Professor Henry Mwandumba, has emphasized the need to support young innovators in the country by creating a platform where their ideas can generate tangible solutions within the health system.

The Director made the remarks on Wednesday, 2 July 2025, in Blantyre during the opening of this year’s Innovation Week.

The event attracted professionals from health research, academia, government, industry, and civil society, who gathered to explore bold and collaborative approaches that are reshaping health systems and outcomes in Malawi.

Professor Mwandumba acknowledged the high level of talent that young people in the country possess, highlighting that Innovation Week is a viable platform where they can present their ideas and connect with key individuals in the field.

“This is actually a very exciting year for us. This is the second Innovation Week that we have hosted. It builds on the successes of last year.

Malawi is rich in terms of talent, and you will be amazed by what will come out of this meeting—the level of talent that is available. We have young and talented innovators. What we need to do is support them and move their ideas forward.

As MLW, we want to do this by offering services through our Innovation Hub, which will help catalyze people’s ideas and link them with the appropriate industries and expertise,” Professor Mwandumba explained.

On his part, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHES) Executive Dean for the School of Life Sciences and Health Professions, Arox Kamng’ona, called for collaboration among various stakeholders to make innovation more impactful in Malawi’s health system.

“More often than not, as researchers, our work is embedded in journals, and the impact of what we do does not trickle down to the communities that need help the most.

My emphasis is that for us to bridge that gap, we need collaboration among all key players, including researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others,” Kamng’ona said.

Biomedical engineer from Makerere University in Uganda, Robert Ssikitoleko, noted that despite existing challenges, African countries are making significant progress in embracing health innovations. However, he was quick to call for harmonization between innovation activities and regulatory frameworks to produce the desired impact.

This year’s Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme (MLW) Innovation Week was held under the theme “Transforming Health through Innovation.”