Effectiveness of Foreign Aid on Health Outcomes in Malawi: The Case of Lilongwe Region.

Majamanda, Alexander (2025) Effectiveness of Foreign Aid on Health Outcomes in Malawi: The Case of Lilongwe Region. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

Despite Malawi receiving substantial amounts of foreign aid over the past decades, the country continues to face persistent challenges in achieving sustainable improvements in healthcare outcomes. Foreign aid remains a major source of funding for Malawi’s health sector, supporting programs such as HIV/AIDS management, maternal and child health, malaria control, infrastructure development, and training of healthcare workers. Yet, there is still widespread concern that health outcomes have not improved proportionately to the volume of aid received. The study used a mixed method of research and presented the results in tables and charts as well as themes and patterns to draw deep insights from the data collected. The study showed that the types of foreign aid that different facilities receive include training programs (mini-course training and full course training), medical supplies, and financial support, like funds for paying the employees, and building infrastructures from various countries, such as the United States of America, China, Japan, United Kingdom and organizations like UNICEF, WHO, WFP and UN. The study also found that foreign aid has positively impacted healthcare workers and the healthcare system in Malawi. The ability to provide quality health care services to the community and hard-to-reach areas has improved and it has also improved living standards for most healthcare workers. However, there are primary challenges that many providers encounter when administering aid include corruption and mismanagement. The study found that foreign aid has significantly improved the quality of healthcare services in Malawi, particularly in remote areas, and has also enhanced the living standards of healthcare workers. Keywords: Foreign aid, Development, Health, Healthcare system

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