Lilongwe, MalawiJuly 5, 2016

UNCLASSIFIEDBRIEFING MEMORANDUM

TO: Ambassador Virginia Palmer

THRU: USAID Mission Director

FROM: USAID HIV/AIDS Team Leader – Rachel Goldstein

SUBJECT: Your participation in the handover of Mimosa Health Centre in Mulanje District to the Ministry of Health, organized by implementing partner, Dignitas International and USAID Health Office.

EVENT: The site launching is a one-day event (July 12, 2016). It will take place at Mimosa Health Centre in Mulanje District. Local Government of Malawi (GOM) officials as well as national-level Ministry of Health (MOH) representatives will participate.

The event will commence at 9:00 with a ribbon cutting and tour of the facility. You are requested to give remarks between 10:45-10:55. The program includes remarks by the Dignitas International Country Director as well as the Secretary for health and the Minister of Health. (see attached proposed program).

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE: The objective of this site launching is to highlight the challenge of public health infrastructure as an obstacle to Malawi’s achievement of health goals, including the number of people accessing HIV treatment. The handover of this new clinic constructed through PEPFAR support will also provide an opportunity to highlight new PEPFAR resources approved for health infrastructure in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Mimosa is a small health facility in Mulanje, with a catchment area population of about 11,800. The existing Mimosa Health Centre was constructed over 50 years ago as a dispensary to provide basic outpatient service delivery; currently however, the clinic also offers HIV testing services (HTS), antiretroviral therapy (ART),

antenatal clinic (ANC)/prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT)/early-infant diagnosis (EID), and maternal and child health (MCH) activities (to over 400 pregnant mothers in a quarter). The staff at Mimosa is limited to one medical assistant, two nurses, eight health surveillance assistants (HSAs), and three expert clients. Dignitas International’s new construction of a five room building at Mimosa will generally improve the delivery and integration of all HIV/PMTCT/TB, and family planning services that the health center provides.

PARTICIPANTS: Ambassador Virginia PalmerMinister of HealthCountry Director, Dignitas InternationalU.S. Mission staff

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: It is expected that press will be at the event and that the press will ask to speak to the Ambassador. (See attached Press Points)

SCHEDULE: The schedule for the event is as follows:

Time Event Responsible Person

08:45 Arrival of Invited Delegates

09:00-09:30 Ribbon Cutting and Tour of the Clinic All

09:30 Sitting All

09:30-09:45 Invited Officials sitting

09:45-09:50 Opening Prayer Pastor

09:50-09:55 Welcome by the DHO Dr. Khuliena Kabwere

09:55-10:05 Traditional Dance Magabada group

10:05-10:15 Speech by Traditional Authority T.A. Mabuka

10:15-10:25 Speech by Clinic In Charge Lydia

10:25-10:35 Traditional Dance Magabada group

10:35-10:45 Speech by DI Country Director Dr. Megh Jagriti

10:45-10:55 Speech by US Ambassador Her Excellency Virginia

Palmer

10:55-11:00 Poem/testimony Teen Club Member and

Expert Client

11:00-11:10 Speech by MoH Secretary for Health Dr. McPhail Magwira

11:10-11:20 Speech by Minister of Health Dr. Peter Kumpalume

11:35h Closing Prayer Pastor

DATE: May 3, 2023DOCUMENT NAME: Briefing Memorandum on Mimosa

DRAFTED: Rachel Edwards, HPN

CLEARED:HIV/HPN: Rachel Goldstein

HPN: Peter Halpert

FO: R. Douglass Arbuckle

ATTACHMENT: PRESS POINTS