Whilst encountering the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malawi’s resiliency paid off in many areas of development, and working in partnerships has been one of the powerful tools that has helped in the fight against the pandemic. To help scaling up domestic manufacturing of COVD-19 supplies in Malawi, UNDP and the Government of Japan launched a project to help boost the local production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Through the project’s support, six public universities in Malawi have joined forces to produce the PPEs materials.

Dr. David Nkwambisi, Chairperson for University Innovation Coordination Team: “Through the project, we have also created collaborations within different faculties, including students, who have fresh and innovative minds.”

The partnerships also include collaborations with private sector institutions to build capacity and skill. The universities are using their skills to train vocational institutions on how to make PPEs and other COVID supplies. 

UNDP Resident Representative for Malawi, Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara; “UNDP’s partnership with the Malawi Government and the Government of Japan is the perfect example on how global and domestic partnerships are key in realizing the development agenda. To defeat complex challenges like COVID-19, we require strong partnerships. Through such partnerships, we have had the opportunity to share many lessons, innovations, and achievements, which would not have been possible if we were working in isolation”.