ECSA-HC Launches TIMS Phase III Project In Lilongwe, Malawi.

The East Central and Southern Africa Health Community in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Malawi has Launched the TB in the Mining Sector in Southern Africa (TIMS) Project Phase II on the 25th of February 2022 at Umodzi Park Hotel Lilongwe, Malawi. The project launch was hosted by Malawi who is the presiding chair of the SADC and was attended by Permanent Secretaries from the 16 SADC member states, National TB program managers, Development partners, and Chambers of mines.

The TIMS phase III project is to be implemented by ECSA-HC who is the current Principal Recipient of the project under the Regional Mechanism Secretariat (RCM) who is the grant holder. The third phase of the TIMS grant has received a catalytic funding of US$ 10 Million which will run between July 2021 and June 2024 reaching 16 Countries of the SADC region.

In his opening remarks the Director General for ECSA-HC Prof. Yoswa Dambisya thanks the Ministry of health Malawi for hosting the TIMS Phase III Project and Malawi being the SADC Chair he puts in a special request for the great need of unlocking bottlenecks in sharing patient information across borders in the SADC region.

The Project Launch was officiated by the Minister of Mines Dr. Albert Mbawala who was the guest of honor for this high-level event.

In his opening remarks Dr. Mbawala stressed on the importance of countries in the SADC region working together towards meeting the 2030 TB global agenda which can only be achieved through collaboration.

Further he emphasized on the issue of cross border referrals and data sharing agreements between SADC countries which is the key solution at tackling migration of Ex-miners from labour sending countries and peri mining communities.

The TIMS Project Launch managed to attract a lot of political traction with participation of high government officials from the Malawi government who committed to ensuring strong support and buy in of the project. In his opening remarks the deputy minister for Health Hon.

Enock Phale said “Malawi Government is committed to strengthening Community interventions to reach out all people that might be at risk of contracting TB”

The RCM Chairperson Mr. Vusi Mabena urged on the importance of all 16 SADC Countries to co-operate on the data sharing as the third phase of the project shall focus on creating of regional coordination mechanism frameworks that will in turn ensure operation of the SADC protocol of TB in the mines.

“We expect the region to have integrated system of data that is needed to understand one thing, what is actually the burden of TB in the region. There has to be strategies put in place to make sure that we eliminate the disease by 2030 and this initiative of the RCM is one of the ways that will help to eliminate the disease” Vusi Mabena RCM Chairperson.