Health Economics and Policy Unit - HEPU

Just like the presents under the tree, your support has been a wonderful surprise that keeps on giving throughout the year. May your holidays be as merry as an elf's dance, and the coming year be filled with boundless success and joy! 🎉

🏆 HUGE CONGRATULATIONS: HEPU and Thanzi Programme Win the Weaver Award! 🏆

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the Health Economics and Policy Unit - HEPU and the Thanzi Programme have won the prestigious Weaver Award at the University of York's 2025 Inclusive Impact Awards! 🌍✨

This award celebrates projects that successfully "connect across boundaries," and we couldn’t be prouder of this recognition for our co-created partnership between Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), the Ministry Of Health - Malawi (MOH), and the University of York - Centre for Health Economics.

Why this matters:
The judges highlighted the programme's "genuine commitment to meaningful, measurable impact." Since its creation in 2018, HEPU has bridged the gap between academic research and real-world policy by:
✅ Establishing a national hub for health economics in Malawi.
✅ Bringing Ministry of Health economists and researchers together under one roof.
✅ Informing critical decisions, from the national Health Sector Strategic Plan to the COVID-19 response.

This win is a testament to the power of long-term collaboration in strengthening health systems and building capacity across East, Central, Southern, and West Africa.

A massive thank you to our partners, staff, and everyone who has supported this journey. This victory belongs to all of us! 🇲🇼🇬🇧

🔗 Read more about the award and our work here: https://www.york.ac.uk/che/news/news2025/thanzi-weaver-2025/

🌍 World AIDS Day 2025
Theme: Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response

At the Health Economics and Policy Unit, we are committed to ensuring that disruptions do not derail progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Here’s how we are making a difference:

✅ Advocating for Sustainable Financing
We work with policymakers and donors to secure long-term, equitable funding for HIV programs in low- and middle-income countries through several platforms, including the HEPU-THANZI Think Tank.

✅ Generating Evidence for Policy
Our team provides data-driven insights to guide resource allocation and optimize the AIDS response during financial uncertainty.

✅ Strengthening Health Systems
We support strategies that build resilience in health systems, ensuring uninterrupted HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.

Together, we can overcome disruption and transform the AIDS response. 💪

Preparations for the upcoming Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa (ASPHA) conference are at an advanced stage.

According to the organizing Chairperson of the conference Professor Mfutso Bengo, and the organizing team are ready to host various experts in the public health field to discuss issues that will promote innovations in health.

Hosted by Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) this year’s conference is scheduled to take place from November 26-28, 2025 in Lilongwe at the Bingu International Convention Centre.

This year the conference aims at uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and innovations in leveraging community health systems and technology for public health responses.

Full story: https://www.kuhes.ac.mw/aspha-conference-2025/ x

💰 Can direct funding transform rural health facilities?
Evidence from Rumphi District shows how financial autonomy improves service delivery and community ownership.
📌 Watch the full analysis and learn what’s next for Malawi!
👉 https://youtu.be/PmqqfZa875k?si=WjDUk6-zhVvwF0uQ

Direct Health Facility Financing in Malawi: Lessons from Rumphi District Can direct financing improve health service delivery at the grassroots level? Dr. Joe Maganga Zonda shares insights from Malawi’s pilot of the Direct Health ...

⚖️ Dialysis or Kidney Transplant? Which is better for Malawi’s future?
Dr Upile Napolo shares groundbreaking insights using the Thanzi La Onse model, revealing cost-effectiveness and life-saving potential.
🎥 Watch now and join the conversation!
👉 https://youtu.be/b0coI8SJc2Y?si=vEHcbIGEKnXeMe4G

Kidney Transplants vs Dialysis in Malawi: A Game-Changer for Public Health? Is kidney transplantation the future of renal care in Malawi? Dr. Upile Napolo presents a compelling economic and public health case using the Thanzi La Onse...

🌍 Malawi is changing the way health policies are made!
The HEPE Think-Tank brings government, researchers, and communities together to co-create solutions for Universal Health Coverage.
📺 Watch the full presentation and see how collaboration drives impact!
👉 https://youtu.be/WftMZsGiIXk?si=i1uWE2HjquhXDhuh

Revolutionizing Health Policy in Malawi: The HEPE Think-Tank Model Explained Discover how Malawi is transforming health policy engagement through the innovative HEPE Think-Tank model. In this presentation, Sebastian Mboma and collabor...

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Peter Mchengah, Maziko Matemba, Owen Mwandumbya

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) is hosting this year’s Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa (ASPHA) conference scheduled to take place from November 26-28, 2025.

This year the conference aims at uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and innovations in leveraging community health systems and technology for public health responses.

To be held under the theme “Harnessing Community Health Systems and Technology for Public Health Response,” the conference will be hybrid, allowing for both in-person and virtual participation.

Attendees can look forward to engaging activities such as oral presentations, poster sessions, panel discussions, and group forums, all designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaborative discussion of various innovations in public health.

Follow the link below to register as a participant:
https://lnkd.in/d-XQ5PfU

Click the link below to register as an exhibitor:
https://lnkd.in/dN23QVSv

and for more information please follow the link below:
https://lnkd.in/d4s6g6mq

2025 ASPHA HYBRID CONFERENCE | Association of Schools of Public Health In Africa (ASPHA) The Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa (ASPHA) invites you to our 2025 Conference which will be hosted by Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS). This year, we wish to bring as many people as possible together to share experiences of their work and their innovations on how to...

🔬 What an incredible day it was of brilliant minds coming together here in Lilongwe for the 17th International Extraordinary HEPU-Thanzi Think Tank Conference! Co-hosted by HEPU from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, the Thanzi Programme and the Ministry of Health (MOH), Day 1 was a deep dive into the conference's theme: "Sustainability Planning for Malawi's Health Sector: Innovating for a Resilient Future".

Here are some of the key takeaways from today's sessions:

🔹 Putting Data to Work: The morning sessions showcased the future of evidence-based policy. We saw the "Thanzi All Disease Whole System Model," a powerful tool that helps researchers and policymakers look into the future. Imagine being able to estimate the health impacts of climate-related disruptions or making complex data easy for leaders to use through a chatbot! This is truly about bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world action.

🔹 Building a Smarter System: A major focus was on "Service Delivery Integration Reform". In simple terms, this is about making different parts of the health system work together more efficiently and equitably. We explored new frameworks, like the LEGS framework, designed to build stronger, more sustainable health systems from the ground up.

🔹 Focusing on People: The afternoon brought us to the heart of healthcare: the experiences of patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). We saw fascinating new data from studies that looked at how HCWs use their time, the real travel times and costs patients face to get care, and how we can strategically expand our health workforce even with a limited budget. This human-centred data is crucial for improving quality of care.

🔹 Ensuring a Sustainable Future: The day closed with a vital discussion on the future of HIV and STI prevention and diagnosis. Experts discussed using smart methods to prioritize interventions and tackled the tough but necessary questions about financial sustainability, including the potential impact of changes in foreign aid on Malawi's health system.

Overall, Day 1 was a powerful reminder that data, innovation, and collaboration are the keys to building a health system that is resilient and ready for the future. We're already looking forward to Day 2, which will explore innovative financing!

For those who joined us, what part of today's discussions excited you the most? Let us know in the comments! 👇